Tekkadread The Second Stage
by Hung Nguyen
Summary: -Ranma 1/2!Tekkaman!Vandread crossover- The further adventures of Slade and the Nirvana!
1. Prologue

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE **

Disclaimer: Vandread, Ranma 1/2 and Tekkaman Blade belong to their own respective creators, and no money is being made off of this story which uses their characters. 

**Prologue**

Earth... 

"Saber! Come forth! We would wish to speak with you." 

In a darkened room on the planet of Mejele and Tarak's ancestors, the crimson Tekkaman appeared before the council of leaders. He was in full armor and his expression was well hidden behind the visor of his helmet. Though Saber loathed the idea of being the lackey of these pathetic individuals, he could not openly rebel against them. It was all because of that blasted obedience chip they had implanted in his brain during his creation. 

"What do you wish of me... Masters?" Saber gritted. 

"I would suggest that you watch your tone of voice, Saber." One of the leaders warned. "Or shall we remind you of your proper place?" 

Saber shook his head. He didn't need another demonstration of the pain-inducing effects of that bio-chip. "Of course not, Masters. What are your orders?" 

Another leader nodded as he continued with the briefing. "The problem concerning the accursed Tekkaman Slade has now reached very disturbing proportions. He has become an obstacle in which we can no longer take lightly." 

"I promise you that I _WILL_ destroy him and the Nirvana!" 

A third leader snorted in disdain. "As we recall, you made that promise once before and you failed _MISERABLY_! Perhaps we shouldn't have even bothered to rescue you from the wreckage of Battle Cruiser A-4!" 

"Yes." Another leader agreed. "We lost a substantial amount of ships and resources in that battle. Perhaps we made a poor investment when we gave you that set of perfectly good organs and the power of a Tekkaman?" 

"I was only defeated because Slade had that weapon and those new Tekkadreads!" Saber insisted. "If I had something to counter them..." 

"Funny you should mention that." A fourth leader interrupted. "We have taken into account of those enhanced Tekkadreads and Slade's Super-Voltekker, and we came up with this!" 

A holographic display appeared before the scarlet cosmic gladiator. When he saw what was displayed, he smiled evilly. 

"Is this what I think it is?" 

"It is." The first leader replied. "We have decided to give you a second chance Saber. Defeat Slade and the Nirvana and you will have redeemed yourself to us. Fail again, and..." 

"I will not _FAIL_!" Saber said with utter confidence. He then left the Council Chambers to prepare for his next encounter with his counterpart. 

  
  
After he had departed, the leaders began talking among themselves. 

"Do you think that he can do it?" One asked. 

"It does not matter if he is successful or not." The first one said nonchalantly. "As of now, Saber is nearing the end of his usefulness. I am well aware of his intentions to betray us at the first opportunity. If he succeeds in destroying Slade and the Nirvana, then it would be all the better for us. If not, then at least we'll be able to gauge their new strengths and weaknesses. As for Saber, we can discard him at any time. Should he rebel, then we can simply overload the obedience chip and cause his brain to implode."

"Yes, but we had used up a lot of our resources and some prime organs in his creation." The second leader reminded. "I would prefer to see some returns in our investments." 

"Saber is just a pawn." The first leader insisted. "And he isn't our _ONLY_ pawn." 

The holographic display lit up again, showing an image of three figures in gestation tanks. 

To be continued... 


	2. Chapter 1: Evolution

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**____

Disclaimer: Ranma, Tekkaman Blade, Vandread and any other characters from any other series that I mention in this story belong to their own creators. 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 1**

**Evolution**

Slade was racing through space in his armor. Behind him were the three transformed Dreads. Ahead of him was the enemy. Cube-Type fighters and other ships from the Earth were blasting away with strange red beams and the Tekkaman was finding it hard to evade them.

He immediately combined with Dita's Dread to get more firepower, but as soon as they formed the Tekkadread, they were struck hard by another blast, which sheared off the right arm. Inside the cockpit, Slade and his copilot Dita were in pain. Sparks and smoke were being emitted from the control panels as the huge machine floated helplessly in space. Slade tried to get the remaining blade working, but as soon as he pointed it at the enemy, it shut down and became useless. 

More energy beams lanced toward them. Slade and Dita watched in horror as Meia and Jura's Dreads were blown away. The communications caught their final screams as they were atomized. Then the enemy began firing at the Nirvana. The pirate vessel shuddered as the shields were stripped away. In mere moments, parts of the ship were blasted off and then it was totally engulfed in a huge explosion. 

Slade screamed as Tekkadread Dita was also caught in the explosion and torn apart. In one brief instant, he saw an image that looked like his armor, and yet was not. 

---------- 

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" 

_**THUD!**_

Slade groaned as he sat up from the floor of his quarters. The nightmare had caused him to fall out of bed. He shook his head as his breathing and heart rate slowed down to normal levels. As he stood up, he began wondering if that had really been a nightmare, or was a sign of a dark future to come. 

Ever since defeating one of Earth's motherships, Slade had been feeling somewhat strange. His reflexes were operating at a slightly higher level than usual. He had also been experiencing bouts of light-headedness lately, as well as a few migraines. Though Duero had assured him that it was merely fatigue from constant combat, Slade knew that his body was different from a normal human. Something deep within him was changing, he could feel it. 

Another thing that he noticed was that he was stronger. Just last week, he had accidentally smashed a control board in the Register, when it had malfunctioned. He had only meant to smack the side, but ended up caving in the console. Another time, he had caused some injuries to a trainee, while executing a simple Judo throw during a light workout. The females had been getting a bit nervous around him. Slade had made a note to get in more training to control his newfound power. Since then he had been putting in an extra two hours per session. 

He then decided that getting out of his quarters for a while might ease his tension. 

---------- 

The hanger... 

Slade stared up at Pegas as the Tekkabot was currently in its Recharge Mode. As he gazed at his robotic partner, his thoughts drifted back to that nightmare. He was so mentally occupied that he did not detect the presence of three others. 

"Mr. Alien?" 

Slade turned to see Dita, Jura and Meia standing behind him. Meia was wearing her usual black and gray jumpsuit, but without the chest and shoulder padding. Dita was dressed in flannel pajamas with an image of a green alien on the top. As for Jura, she wore kind of fancy nightdress with pink fur and ruffles. However, all three girls shared the same, apprehensive expression. 

"What are all of you doing here at this time of night?" Slade asked. 

Meia was the first to speak. "It was... trying to tell us something. At least, that's what I think it was trying to do." 

Slade immediately caught on to her words. "You mean... you all saw it too?" 

Dita perked up at this. "So Mr. Alien had the same dream?" 

Jura became just as worried. "Still, why did we all have _THAT_ dream?" 

"It could be because we all have a common experience." Meia hypothesized as she remembered back to the Paksis implosion. "The transformed Dreads and Slade's ability to combine with them is proof. Now we can also combine with Pegas, since it used to be a Vanguard before it got changed." 

"It may be more than that." Slade added. 

"What do you mean, Mr. Alien?" Dita asked. 

"Well... I've been feeling strange lately. I'm stronger, but I can't control my strength. I'm breaking nearly anything I touch and... I think it may have something to do with the Tekkaman Power System and the Paksis." 

"Explain." Meia prompted. 

Slade shrugged as he remembered back to that last battle. "Before I got my ass handed to me from Tekkaman Saber, the Paksis had engulfed me, and showed me some images that I didn't understand. It started reacting to me in a way that was familiar, but was unfamiliar. Then, after I... uh..." 

"Died?" Meia supplied. 

"Yeah... when I died, the Paksis engulfed me again and showed me some more images. Some voice kept on saying that I wasn't Slade." 

"Huh?" Jura remarked. 

Slade shrugged. "It kept on saying that 'Slade was not Slade.' At first, I didn't know what to make of it. Then I realized that it was telling me that Slade wasn't my real name." 

"You mean... Mr. Alien isn't Mr. Alien?" Dita inquired. 

"Now don't you start." The Tekkaman said with some irritation. "I had enough of that when I was dead." 

"So if Slade isn't your real name, then what is it?" Meia asked. 

Slade shook his head. "For the life of me, I can't remember. In fact, I can't remember anything beyond several months before I came aboard the Nirvana. I don't know what planet I'm from, I don't know who my parents were, if I had any brothers or sisters... heck, I don't even know when my birthday is or how old I am." 

"Honest? You don't know?" Dita was shocked to hear that Mr. Alien couldn't remember his own birthday. 

Slade shook his head. "Duero estimated my age to be around eighteen or nineteen, but that's only a conservative number. I could be a lot older or younger for all I know." 

The cosmic warrior had no idea of just how much older he was. At that point, Dita asked another question. 

"So what do you remember Mr. Alien?" 

Slade cocked his head to one side in thought, then replied. "Well, I remember everything that I experienced during my travels between planets, before I came to Tarak. But before that... I can only recall bits and pieces of what might be my childhood, but nearly all of those memories are either blurry or incomplete. When I was dead, the Paksis showed me of what it claimed to be my lost past, but it had been all jumbled and indistinct. I caught a glimpse of a few images that I know are from my early life, but I have no real recollection of ever having experienced those events." 

"What's the earliest memory that you can clearly recall?" Meia asked. 

"Well... I remember... awakening." Slade began. 

"Awakening?" 

"That's... what I call it. It felt as if I had just finished a very long, long sleep. I remember a place that was dreary... and desolate. I found myself completely alone and the place had a _LOT_ of storms. Nearly everywhere I went was covered in water. I think it was the planet that I was born on, but I can't be certain. The outside was all machines and... I didn't see anyone else. The thing I remember most was that it had been the first time that I transformed into a Tekkaman using the Tekkaman Power System."

"That's another thing I've been meaning to ask. What exactly is the Tekkaman Power System?" Meia asked. 

"I... don't know." 

"You don't know, Mr. Alien?" Dita was even surprised. 

"I know that it's called the Tekkaman Power System, and I know how to use it, but I really don't know how I got it or where it came from." 

"That's strange." Jura remarked. 

"I'll say it is. It was almost as strange as when the Paksis first changed us. I was in the process of transforming when those torpedoes hit and set off the reactor." He made his crystal appear, but was surprised to see it alternating between its usual green hue and a crimson color. "Whoa. It never did that before." 

All four gazed upon the heart of Slade's transformation process. It was then that Slade noticed something peculiar. On each girl's forehead, Slade thought that he saw a glowing dot of light in the shape of his Tekkacrystal. Dita's symbol was blue, Meia's was white and Jura's was red. Before he could ask about them, the symbols quickly faded away. He shook his head again and assumed that he had just been seeing things. 

Finally, the crystal went back to its normal coloring and stayed that way, leaving them even more puzzled than before. 

Jura then winced as pain began throbbing in her head. "I'm... going back to bed." She walked off to her quarters, leaving the others in the hanger. 

---------- 

0530 hours... 

As Slade headed back to his quarters, he was still in deep thought. As such, he didn't notice a certain somebody. 

"Mr. Alien!"

Slade sighed as he turned to face Dita as she came running up to him. "Yeah. What do you want?" 

The red-haired Dread pilot became a bit nervous as she twiddled her fingers in front of her chest. Her cheeks were tinged with pink as she tried to get her mouth to work. "I... well, I..." 

"Just say it." Slade said with a bit of irritation. 

"Right. I... was wondering... when you were going to come to my room. Remember, you promised?" 

The Tekkaman winced as he recalled that time before they had gone out and destroyed one of the Earth's motherships. "Oh... ah, yeah... I guess... I did promise, didn't I?" 

Dita perked up at this. "So are you going to come today?" 

"Uhhh... no... not just today." 

"Then tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? The day after that? When?" 

Slade scratched the back of his head as he tried to think of an excuse, then turned around and headed down the hall. "Soon." 

Dita became a bit disappointed, then perked right back up. "Then how about we have breakfast together?" 

Slade sighed, then decided what the heck. "Whatever." 

---------- 

Meia watched as the two went towards the cafeteria. She had a bit of a forlorn look in her eyes as she briefly imagined herself walking beside Slade. After months of working together aboard the Nirvana, she had grown... used to having the males around, especially Slade. What was it about that Tekkaman that made her feel so... she just couldn't describe these sensations! 

"Today will be an interesting day!" 

Meia looked over to her right and saw that Paiway was up early and was busily writing down her observations on a notepad. Floating beside her was Pyoro. 

The precocious eleven-year-old held up her frog puppet and said in a comic voice, "Dita and Slade are really acting strange! Kero, kero!" 

Pyoro however, wasn't feeling as chipper as he floated up in front of Paiway and... hiccuped? "Actually... that's normal." 

Paiway shoved the machine to one side while scolding at it. "It's impolite to interrupt a lady!" She then became a bit puzzled. "Hey, since when does a robot hiccup?" 

"HIC!" 

---------- 

The briefing room... 

"We're approximately ninety days away from Mejele space." BC commented as she, the captain and the head supplier were having a conference meeting. 

"The message pod that we sent to our homeworld should have arrived by now. The planet Tarak should have received one as well." The captain said. 

"And there hasn't been any response." Gascogne stated. "Maybe we're being ignored." 

"Well, I suppose that the information would be very hard to swallow, especially coming from us." Magno reminded. As pirates that preyed on both Mejele and Tarak ships, they weren't too popular with the governments of both planets. "After all, the enemy is after our reproductive organs." 

It was then that the three received a message from the engineering section. 

"Captain, we've got a problem down here." Parfat announced. 

"What is it?" 

"It's the Paksis. Something's happening. I'm not sure what's going on, but overall power levels have dropped by thirty percent." 

The three women became puzzled at this new development. Then Buzom voiced out a suggestion. 

"Could it be that there are still some rejection issues between the male and female ships? After all, the Nirvana used to be the old section of the Ikazuchi and our own cruiser." 

"Maybe the ship is like us?" Gascogne said. "The gender gap is pretty large. There are only three men and over 150 females on board. Some of us are _STILL_ not used to having them around." 

----------

Duero was immersed in a book that he had found in the old section of the Ikazuchi. Sitting beside him and munching on nutrition pellets was the navigator of the Nirvana. 

"It was said that women ate men's livers and..." Bart stopped in his prattling as he noticed that his companion wasn't listening. "Hey, what's so interesting about that book you found?" 

The doctor showed him the cover of the hardback, which was actually a children's 'How-To' manual on the... (ahem) birds and the bees. "It's a book I found that dates back to the old Colonization Era." He then began to read out loud. "The male donor or father, gives the seed called the sperm, to the female recipient or mother, which combines with one of her eggs or ovum. The fertilized ovum, also known as a zygote, gestates into a fetus over the course of nine months..." 

"Well isn't that interesting?" Bart commented sarcastically. 

"It's _VERY_ interesting!" Duero said with a glint in his eye. After studying female anatomy and treating the Nirvana's crew, he was more than eager to learn every nuance of the opposite gender. 

Both men then noticed a tired individual stagger toward his bed. Slade let off a tired sigh as he lay down. 

---------- 

One of the women's restrooms... 

"It's strange." Xian Pu commented as she spoke to Ukyo. "We've been with the men for months now and..." She let her voice trail off, as she couldn't describe the feelings about the males, especially one in particular.

"I know. It's funny." The descendant of the original Ucchan pondered for a moment. "I had been taught ever since I was born to hate all men, but... I can't bring myself to hate Slade. He... saved my life once. He saved us all on more than one occasion. It's kind of hard to hate someone who risked his life for you. And there are those other talents of his. Who would've thought that a man could sing, play music, dance and even cook?!" 

"Same here. There's... just something about him. Hey, you don't suppose...?" 

Ukyo the XVII shrugged, as she understood her crewmate's unspoken question. "Well, according to that old video record that they found on Christmas, men and women _USED_ to live together... and even had kids... though I'm not really sure how they did it." 

"What do you think? Could you ever...?" 

Ukyo became a bit flustered. "Huh? Me?! _NO_! Whatever gave you that idea?!"

"Well... would it be so bad... with Slade? Come on, be honest! I asked some the girls in the Warrior Squadron and they all admitted to thinking about asking Slade to be an Ohma." 

"Slade as an Ohma? Get serious! What kind of kids would we have?" Ukyo scoffed. 

The Amazon girl smirked. "Ohhh, so you _HAVE_ thought about it."

"Huh?" 

"You said what kind of kids '_WE_' would have. Were you thinking about becoming a Fahma?" 

Ukyo's face reddened. "Well... okay, it did cross my mind... once.... er, and... ah..." 

The descendant of Shampoo chuckled as she let up on her teasing. "Actually, I've been thinking about what would happen if Slade became my children's Ohma. Would they be like me or would they be like him?" 

Both girls became silent as images of chibi versions of themselves and Slade danced in their minds. At that moment, Barnette entered the restroom on her way to an adjacent corridor. 

"You know, if those men, and especially Slade, had not come to live with us, we would have never even considered such things." Ukyo remarked. 

Xian Pu nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We used to think that they carried diseases and stuff. I guess they're not as bad as we thought." 

"Prisoners are prisoners." Barnette said coldly as she walked passed them. Though she and Slade had more or less buried the hatchet, she was still a bit irritable toward the male gender. She turned to them, as she reached the exit. "If we let our guard down, the men will take advantage of us again!" 

Just as she departed, both Xian Pu and Ukyo became anxious. 

"What do you think she's going to do? Is she going to cause another ruckus like before?" Xian Pu worried. 

"Maybe we should tell the Captain or the Commander?" Ukyo suggested. 

Just then, Barnette popped her head back in and said angrily, "I'm not going to do anything!" 

Both girls remained tensed after she had left. 

Unknown to both of them, another had been listening in on their conversation from the other side of the restroom.

Jura became introspective. _Hmmm... Slade as an Ohma?_

She winced as the headache came back with a vengeance. She made a note to visit the sick bay if the pain persisted. 

---------- 

"You made a promise?" Duero asked as he, Bart and Slade spoke with each other. 

"Yeah, I said it by mistake during that battle with Tekkaman Saber and that Earth mothership."

"So what's the big deal? Just go and see her." Bart said nonchalantly. 

"It's not that easy!" Slade retorted. 

"What do you mean?" Duero asked with his interest rising again. In addition to learning more about the female physiology, the physician was also interested in the ancient social interactions between men and women. After finding that old video during Christmas, the healer had been looking up every book on the subject. And since it had been revealed that Slade knew about those mysterious practices... 

"Well... it's like this..." Slade stammered as he tried to think of the best way to explain. "I may know the mechanics... but, I... er, never really... er, uh, applied them and... well, let's just say that I've... never been on a date before!" 

"Date?" Bart became puzzled. 

"What's a date?" Duero wondered. 

Slade sighed as he bowed his head, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right. I keep forgetting that you two are from Tarak. Ah... let me put it to you this way. Well, when two... men on Tarak get to know each other really well and _REALLY_ like each other's company, then they can decide to make a kid together, right?" 

Bart nodded. "Yeah. Genetic material from both men is spliced together and the baby is formed in a vat. We learned that babies come from factories in grade school." 

"Okay." Slade nodded. The process was similar to the cloning techniques of Terra II. He continued to explain. "Now two guys don't just decide to make a baby right off, correct? There's a period between meeting one another and making that decision that I guess one would call a... courtship." _And I use that term loosely._

"Courtship?" Duero inquired. 

"The process of getting to know one another. To see if each person is emotionally attracted to the other, to find common ground, similar interests and stuff like that." 

"Ah." Duero nodded in comprehension. "Yes, that occurs very often on Tarak. I happen to know of several happy couples."

"Okay..." Slade had a bit of a sweatdrop on the back of his head as he continued with his explanations. "Well, this period of courtship was also called 'dating' back in the old days. Every time a couple was together to do something... enjoyable with each other's company, that was called a date." 

"I see." Bart nodded. "So what you intend to do with Dita is something that you and her will both enjoy." 

"Uh... well, I guess you could put it that way. The thing is... well, I'm not too sure how far it's going to go. I'm... ah, well, I don't expect _IT_ to happen the first time, but one-night stands have been known to occur on the other worlds I've visited. I'm straight and... well, it's been really tough for me lately being on a ship full of attractive women. I've been taking cold showers for months now and even they're not working as well as they used to!" 

"What do you mean _IT_?" Duero asked then added. "And I am not familiar with the terms 'straight' and 'one-night stand.' Please clarify." 

"Yeah, and what do cold showers have to do with anything?" Bart inquired. 

Slade winced as he realized that he'd have to be more blunt. Taking a deep breath, he took on a more serious expression. "Tell me something, Doc. You said that there are several happy couples on Tarak, right?" 

"Yes." The doctor nodded. 

"All right. Now then, let me ask you this. Do these couples engage in certain... intimate acts to express their feelings for each other? I mean, with their... ahem, private parts?" 

Both Tarak men considered his question then realized what he was hinting at. "_OH... THAT_!" Both men exclaimed while nodding. 

The Tekkaman nodded. "Yes, I mean that." 

"Well why didn't you say so?" Bart said with a shrug. "Yeah, we do that. We call it..." 

"Yes, yes, I get the picture." Slade interrupted quickly then took another deep breath. "Well, here's the big bomb. A man... can do that... with a woman." 

There was a long moment of silence for the revelation to sink in. 

"Get out of here!" Bart said with a disbelieving expression. 

"Really?" Duero looked back at the book he had been reading, then made the connection. Holding it up for Slade to see, he then posed another question. "So if a man can be intimate with a woman, then does that mean...?" 

Slade read the book's title, and let off another sigh while nodding. At least one of them finally understood. "You got it. That's how humans made kids before cloning and gene splicing. In fact, that's what nature had intended." 

"Gross!" Bart shuddered a bit, then began getting some images of himself and the First Officer Buzom. He wondered why his groin area was getting stimulated. 

Duero took on a contemplative expression. "Actually, that sounds about what I've always suspected. I mean, it's obvious from the evidence that we've found that humans had to have reproduced naturally before the times of cloning and genetic manipulation. That might also explain the differences in the extremities of males and females. Tell me Slade, do these differences compliment each other? Do they play a key role in the process of procreation?" 

"Ahhhh... yeah, that's... about right." Slade then got the image of a key entering a lock. He shook his head to clear it. 

"Sounds like a lot of trouble to me." Bart remarked. 

"Well, actually..." Slade began hemming and hawing. "The process of procreation was not... an exact science, not like what you have. The... ah, timing had to be right, conditions had to be favorable and... well, both partners had to be... er, in the... mood. And even when it's done, it... doesn't always guarantee... ah, conception. Sometimes it takes several attempts." 

"If it's that much trouble and so unreliable, then why did they do it?" Bart asked. 

"Well, it was quite... um, pleasurable. And when the two feel very deeply for one another, they enjoy repeating this ritual, sometimes just for the sake of it. You guys must know about the meaning of the word love, right?" 

"Fascinating." The physician smiled as he took in this new data. "Where did you learn of all this?" 

"Well, there are some worlds out there, in which they still reproduce the natural way, without the use of any machines or technology." 

Duero put a hand to his chin in thought. "I must say, this... ritual sounds very interesting. It certainly would save up on resources, time and effort. So how exactly did they accomplish this? Can you demonstrate this process for us? Since you're going to Dita's room, why don't you ask her to volunteer?" 

_**THOOM! **_

That was the sound of a Tekkaman doing a facefault. 

Naturally, the doctor didn't understand Slade's reaction. "Or perhaps Jura or Meia would volunteer as well?" 

_**THOOM! **_

---------- 

Later that morning in sick bay... 

"Wow! It's gotten big!" Paiway remarked as she looked at the image on the ultrasound. "Look at it move!" 

Beside her, Pyoro also watched the image with interest. The robot had already decided that the baby would be named Pyoro 2, though Ezra had other ideas. 

Duero nodded as he waved a probe over Ezra's enlarged abdomen. The bridge officer was lying on the examination table and gently rubbing her belly. 

"By my calculations, the baby will be ready to detach any time now." Duero announced. 

Ezra shook her head. "We call it giving birth." 

The young apprentice nurse became a bit worried. "Hey Ezra. Where are you going to have the baby? We don't have the right equipment and..." She glanced at Duero. "A man certainly can't do it." 

The physician cleared his throat while holding up the 'How-To' book. "Not to worry. I've already completed my studies on pregnancies and childbirth." 

Both women and Pyro developed huge sweatdrops. (Hey I'd be worried too.) 

At that moment, Jura entered the sickbay with a hand on her forehead. 

"Doctor, I've got a splitting headache. I need something." 

"A headache?" Duero thought back to his conversation with Slade. "Come to think of it, Slade also mentioned having a headache this morning." He then gazed at Pyoro, who happened to be floating a bit erratically. "The Paksis isn't functioning normally. I wonder if they're related?" 

"Doctor! Would you give something for this headache?" Jura said with irritation, then softened up. "I'm sorry for shouting." 

The healer nodded as he gestured for her to sit. "I'll prepare an analgesic." 

As the voluptuous blonde waited, she noticed on the table, the book that Duero had been reading. She picked it up and started scanning its contents. Her eyes widened a bit, then she looked up at the ultrasound. 

_Wow. Ezra's baby has gotten big._ Jura's mind began recalling Ukyo and Xian Pu's conversation. _Slade as an Ohma..._

---------- 

Duero was in deep contemplation as he prepared Jura's medicine. His hands moved with practiced ease as he carefully measured the dosage. As he worked, his thoughts went back to his conversation with Slade. What the Tekkaman had told him and Bart had been shocking, yet the physician couldn't deny the possibility, that man and woman had been able to procreate new life before the time of Mejele and Tarak. The evidence that he had found in that old storeroom during Christmas also dated back to that era, more than a hundred years ago. 

As he thought more and more about it, he then remembered back to his conversation with Ezra when she had explained how women reproduced on Mejele. At that point, he began formulating a new train of thought. His hands quivered a bit as he also recalled his medical classes on genetics and the science of bioengineering and manipulation. 

_Could it be? Could that happen?_

Duero thought about it or a while longer, then decided that he would need more research. After finishing with Jura's prescription, he then went to his medical log terminal and began typing in a new entry for a series of tests that he would run. As he went to give Jura her headache relief, he also took along an aspiration needle to collect some samples. 

---------- 

Jura came to a decision an hour later as she and Barnette were in the holographic target range. Her companion was shooting at targets with an old-style handgun. Her accuracy was flawless as she continued to fire at circles of light. Then Jura said out of the blue... 

"I want to have a baby." 

This caused Barnette to miss her next target completely. She turned her shocked expression to Jura. "A baby?!" 

"Yep." Jura said with a whimsical smile. 

"A-A-Are you asking me to be the Ohma?!" The gun in her hand wavered as the Dread pilot found herself trembling. 

Jura shook her head. "No, not that. I mean I want to make a baby with a man." 

"_WHAT_?!" 

The blonde Dread pilot stood up with a starry look in her eyes. "Making a baby with a man! The first woman to do that! Think of how famous I'd be if I came back to Mejele with that baby! I'd be the heroine of a new era!"

Barnette developed a sweatdrop behind her head. "Well that sounds just like you." She let off a sigh. Once Jura got an idea in her head, there was no stopping her. "So tell me, where are you going to get the seed? Who's going to be the donor?" 

Jura smiled as replied. "Well, there _ARE_ three men on the ship..." 

Jura's friend became more edgy. "Don't tell me that you're thinking about asking Bart..." 

Jura shook her head. "No, not him. He's too much of a crybaby." 

"You mean the doctor...?" 

"No. He's nice, but I think Parfat may object to it. She seems to be getting very attached to him." 

"But... that only leaves..." 

Jura's grin became more pronounced. "Yes! Slade! Just as our combining forms the perfect Tekkadread, we will combine to form the perfect child!" 

---------- 

However, Jura wasn't the _ONLY_ girl on the Nirvana who was entertaining thoughts of becoming a Fahma with Slade as the Ohma. 

Ukyo Kuonji the XVII had paused in her work in the Register as she thought back to her conversation with Xian Pu. She had begun to imagine herself with a baby that had her face, but with Slade's eyes. She had noticed lately that the Tekkaman had the most intriguing blue-gray eyes. Whenever he worked in the Register, the okonomiyaki chef had found herself staring at him and taking note of his movements. He moved with a practiced grace, like some predatory cat and his very presence was so... 

Ukyo shook her head. Why was she feeling this way about a man? Weren't all men the enemy? She had been taught, since the day she was born, to hate the opposite gender. They were not to be considered as anything but dishonorable creatures. It had been a man that had destroyed her great ancestor's honor. They were less than low-grade garbage. 

However, try as she might, she still couldn't get Slade out of her mind, plus her conversation with the Amazon Vanguard pilot. Would it really be so bad? Slade was not at all like the way she had expected of men. He showed kindness and understanding toward his fellow crewmembers, regardless of what gender they were. He was strong, brave, honorable and full of surprises. She could... get used to having him around on a more personal level, very easily. She had finally realized that there was no need to hate him. In fact, she had realized that she could actually grow... to love him. 

After thinking about the subject for a while longer, Ukyo then made her decision. If Slade were willing, then she would ask him to be the Ohma of her children, and damn the family's edict to hate all men. To the descendant of the original Ucchan, it was time to change that centuries-old and practically nonsensical policy. 

---------- 

Xian Pu was also deep in contemplation as she worked on tuning up her Vanguard. Her thoughts were about a certain Tekkaman. 

She had always been proud of her Amazon roots and had strove to be like the great warriors of her distant past. She had excelled in hand-to-hand combat and it seemed that no one could be her equal, and most certainly not a man. Then Slade had appeared. Not only did he prove to be her equal, but also he went on to show himself as her superior. Initially, that had caused her to resent him and had been a great blow to her pride as a fighter. However, he had then made her second-in-command of the Warrior Squadron and placed great trust in her combat skills, whenever he had to relinquish leadership to combine with the Dreads. 

Despite being a man, Xian Pu had to respect his skills as a fighter and the power of a Tekkaman. Slade was exceptionally talented with the art of combat. Even the man-hating Amazon had to admit that there was no one else who could measure up to his level. Then she began thinking back to the ancient texts of her Amazon lore and recalled that there had been some mention about a law that dealt with men. However, the old scrolls were extremely faded and near to crumbling with age. The ancient laws had long been forgotten or revised over the centuries, so their original purpose was unknown. However, she had recently begun to reason that the Amazons had to have had children some other way, before the times of artificial insemination and gene splicing. And if the rumor that men and women used to live together was true, then what did that mean to her ancestors? Like Duero, Xian Pu had reasoned that there must have been some natural means in which her ancestors produced offspring, which meant that men and women _COULD_ have children together. 

If there were men like Slade in the past, then wouldn't the Amazons _WANT_ such strong genes and fighting abilities bred into the next generation? If that was the case, then a total absence of men during those times would have made no sense, especially since the methods in which Mejele women reproduced, would not have existed back then. 

Xian Pu thought about it some more, then made a note to review all of the old texts she had in her possession. If what she suspected was true, then that forgotten law about men may allow her to do the unthinkable... with Slade. 

---------- 

Slade wondered why he felt that certain doom was approaching, and it wasn't about that nightmare he had before. It was just after he had explained the 'facts of life' to his Tarak crewmates. Just afterwards, as he walked down a hallway, a chill went down his spine and for some unknown reason, he had begun to think about Jura, Ukyo and Xian Pu. He shook his head and continued on. His train of thought was interrupted when an alarm went off, signaling for him and the Dread pilots to scramble. He nodded as he ran toward the main hanger to activate Pegas. 

---------- 

The bridge of the Nirvana... 

Buzom and the captain nodded as they watched the image on the main monitor. They had just picked up a distress signal, which was being broadcast on a Colonization Era frequency. When the object came within range of the sensors, it appeared as some kind of escape pod. Life signs were detected and the captain had decided to bring the object in for examination. However, she also wanted the fighter groups to provide cover in case the enemy Earth fleet was to show up. 

The Dreads and Vanguards were launched, along with Gascogne's supply ship. A moment later, Pegas came alongside the supply ship with the Tekkaman riding on its back. He carefully guided the Tekkabot to float near the pod, as the head supplier engaged her vessel's grappling arms to catch the capsule. 

"Need a hand?" Slade asked. 

"I've got it." The older woman replied, then winced as her threat sensors went off. They had company. 

_**KABOOM!**_

The supply ship was hit hard and its robotic manipulators were sheared off from a barrage of plasma bolts. From out of nowhere came some new types of Cube Fighters. Unlike the previous ones, they were more cylindrical in form and fast, very fast. 

Inside the pilot's cabin, Gascogne groaned as she lifted herself from a sparking and smoking console. "What the Hell?! How did they come up from below?" 

The Dread squadrons and their Vanguard escorts began following their attack patterns. Recently, Meia and Slade had come up with new battle plans in which the smaller Vanguards would compliment the Dread fighters. For every Dread, there would be two of the humanoid mecha assisting it. However, it seemed that the enemy had also come up with some different tactics. A few of them swept up the pod and began flying off with it. 

---------- 

Magno nodded as she watched the battle on the bridge. 

"So it seems that we weren't the target this time." 

"It looks like they're after that pod too." Buzom observed. 

"Well then, if it's so valuable to them, then we can't let them have it, now can we?" 

---------- 

"Damn! These things are faster than those other Cube-Types!" Barnette said as she tried to shoot them down. However, the new enemy drones were far more agile than usual. 

Slade also found it more difficult to take down his opponents. Several of the robotic machines had managed to score some direct hits as they swarmed about him like maddened wasps. However, some of the pressure was relieved as Xian Pu came by in her Van-Type and strafed a few from behind. This gave the Tekkaman the opportunity to cut down the remainder of his assailants with his lance. 

"Thanks for the assist, Xian." 

"You're welcome. By the way, Commander... I wanted to ask you something..." 

Slade shook his head. "Fight now, talk later!" He leapt off his perch of Pegas and initiated his Battle Mode. Both Tekkaman and Tekkabot combined into one and let loose with an aura of quantum energy and ki. Like a huge comet, they slammed through the formations of enemy fighters. He made a beeline toward the pod, but just as he neared his objective, several more opponents came in diving at him and fired, forcing him to break off. 

Meia's Dread came alongside of him as the blue-haired girl raised him. 

"We'll combine and retrieve the pod!" Slade nodded as he leapt off Pegas and initiated the fusion. Both Tekkaman and Dread became Tekkadread Meia. The dragon mecha sped towards the pod at unbelievable speed and was about to catch up, when the new Cube-Types pulled their own surprise and shot forward with an increase in their velocities. 

Inside the dual cockpit, both Slade and Meia were caught off-guard by this new development. 

"What the...?" Since when are Cube-Types _THAT_ fast?!" Meia gasped, then winced as several of the enemy machines engaged the Tekkadread, slowing it down even more. The pod was taken further away. 

Slade winced as well. "Looks like they're adapting to the Tekkadreads and their abilities. Okay, let's see if they've adapted to this! PEGAS! COMBINE!" 

The Tekkabot acknowledged the order and flew alongside Tekkadread Meia. Another section in the larger machine's aft portion opened up, allowing the modified Vanguard to link up. The dragon mecha underwent its second transformation as the wings became broader and took on a more feathery appearance. The head formed a beak and the talons became curved like a bird's. 

In the cockpit, Slade focused his power into the systems. 

"PHOENIX FLARE... VOLTEKKER!" 

In a fiery blast of phoenix power, Tekkadread Meia X raced forward and let loose with a huge fireball from its mouth, obliterating anything in its path. Both of its pilots smiled in triumph as the claws carefully closed around the pod. However, just as they were about to head back to the ship, a huge, red beam of light struck the machine dead on, causing an enormous explosion. An instant later, Meia's Dread, the Tekkabot and Slade went tumbling separately in space. Inside her fighter, Meia looked about and assessed the damage that it had sustained. Pegas was listing and many of its systems were either offline or severely reduced. 

The Tekkaman shook his head and found that he was in his armor again. "What the Hell was that?!" He looked about and saw the pod drifting nearby. 

---------- 

"What happened?" Magno asked. 

The bridge crew was just as surprised to see Tekkadread Meia X suddenly become separated, and it had been in its most powerful form. 

---------- 

Not wanting to waste time, Slade immediately headed toward the pod. However, the enemy had different ideas and intercepted the Tekkaman before he could get near the capsule. Luckily for him, Jura was nearby and flew toward them. 

"I'VE GOT IT!" 

Both Tekkaman and Jura's machine combined into its first Tekkadread form, which was the crab. Thought the blonde pilot didn't care much for it, it did have its uses, especially in terms of defense. With its protective shielding, the enemy fighters couldn't get near it or the pod. 

Inside the cockpit, Jura smiled seductively at her co-pilot. "Well now, how was that?" 

"You certainly took your time." Slade said with a bit of irritation. 

Jura however, leaned even closer and began whispering in his ear. "By the way, I wondering just what you'd give for my baby." 

Slade immediately turned red and began shouting back. "WHAT?! WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THIS?! THIS ISN'T THE TIME!" 

A Vanguard came flying near them and the pilot raised them. It was Xian Pu. Apparently, Jura had left her communicator open... on all channels. 

"Hey! I wanted to ask him that!" 

From the Nirvana, Ukyo also voiced out her objections. "What are you talking about, Sugar? He's going to be _MY_ Ohma!" 

"Hey! Mr. Alien is mine!" (Don't have to guess who that was.) 

Meia didn't know what was going on, and now wasn't the time, though she had felt a bit of the green-eyed monster herself. She raised Tekkadread Jura. "Jura, Slade, get back to the Nirvana! We'll cover you!" 

"Roger." Jura replied as the giant crab made its way back its mothership. However, it was slow going and Tekkadread Jura in its first form had not been built for speed. 

"We have to get there quicker and we're using up a lot of energy maintaining the barrier." Slade said. 

Jura smiled with delight. "Does this mean what I think it means?" 

The martial artist sighed sadly. "Yes... it does." He then reached for the red button on the console. 

Tekkadread Jura immediately assumed its second form, becoming sleeker and more agile. The pod was carefully cradled in the jaws as the tiger mecha emerged. Using the repulsor discs to block any incoming shots; it began racing toward the Nirvana, swiping at any Cube Fighter that got near it to pieces. The tail blaster blew away any foe that tried to catch it from behind. 

Inside the cockpit, Jura started to become a little concerned when she noted that Slade was breathing heavily. 

"Is something wrong?" 

"Just... a little tired. That... last combining with Meia took a lot out of me and I still don't know what caused us to separate. I'll be fine and..." 

Just then, another blast of red energy lanced from the distance, striking Tekkadread Jura. Once again the fusion between Dread and Tekkaman was severed and the two went tumbling in space. 

"Red light?" Meia gasped as her nightmare began to come back to her. 

---------- 

"That's the second time that's happened!" Buzom exclaimed as she ordered the bridge personnel to pinpoint the source of the attacks. 

"Something about that red light is causing the Tekkadreads to separate." Amarone declared. "I'm reading heavy damage on Jura's Dread, but she's alive and Slade is..." 

BC did not hear her report as she gazed on the severely injured Slade. He was drifting and had several cracks and dents in his supposedly indestructible armor. 

_I haven't seen him this badly hurt since that battle with Tekkaman Saber._

---------- 

_Damn! That hurt!_ Slade groaned as he got his thrusters to work. _That... beam felt like Tekkaman Saber's... Anti-Voltekker... but much worse!_

His vision began to become blurry, but the Tekkaman wouldn't admit defeat. Seeing that he was near the pod, he managed to maneuver close enough to grab hold of it. Just as he latched onto it, another barrage of laser and plasma bolts came raining down on him, but his luck held out as Dita flashed onto the scene. 

Though it strained him to his limits, he initiated the combining process and Tekkadread Dita claimed the pod in its massive left hand. 

"Hah! We won't let you have it!" The energetic redhead declared as she turned to her partner. "Right, Mr. Alien?" However, her glee turned to shock as she saw that her Mr. Alien was in a very bad state. He was pale, nearly unconscious, and barely breathing. When he started coughing up blood, the Dread pilot knew that they were in trouble. She looked down in horror as the crimson liquid was spattered on her right shoulder. 

"Oh no! Mr. Alien!" The red-haired girl began to panic. Slade had just recently been brought back to life, and Dita couldn't bear it if she were to lose him again so soon. 

Meia flew by and saw that Dita's Tekkadread was starting to go limp. She raised it on her communicator. "Dita! What's wrong? Why aren't you heading back to the Nirvana?" 

"It's Mr. Alien! He's hurt really, _REALLY_ bad! I can't work the Tekkadread without him!" 

It was that point that a third blast of red light appeared and clipped Tekkadread Dita in the right arm, causing its circuits to short out, and rendering it useless. Inside the cockpit, Slade let off a scream of agony as pain shot up his right arm. Dita also felt a bit of pain, but not as much as her co-pilot did. Through supreme effort, both pilots managed to raise the left arm with the energy cannon mounted on its wrist. They tried to direct the weapon in the direction of where that red beam had come from, but the arm suddenly deactivated. All of the weapons and main systems, except for life support and communications, shut down and Tekkadread Dita became nothing but a floating mass. 

---------- 

"Have you finished with the analysis yet?" Buzom asked with a bit of anxiety in her voice. 

Her answer came from the head engineer when she raised the bridge. "Commander! Captain! The Paksis is reacting to that light in same way that it did when Slade was defeated before! The red beam is the direct opposite to Slade's Voltekker! It's an amplified Anti-Voltekker!" 

"What?!" Both women exclaimed. 

"That's impossible!" BC denied. "Slade destroyed Tekkaman Saber and..." 

It was then that the threat alarms went on full blast as something emerged from the shadow of a cloaking device. The craft was huge, and looked like some kind of giant manta ray. Near its head, stood a figure in crimson armor. 

---------- 

Inside the inert Tekkadread, Slade's blood ran cold when saw what was coming for him. 

"No... no... I destroyed you!" 

However, it seemed that the doppelganger was very much alive and was nursing a big grudge against with the Nirvana's Tekkaman. 

"Hello Slade. Good to see you again." The red Tekkaman said with a deadly tone. 

The souless monster began powering up his Anti-Voltekker units and directed them at the front of the vessel he was riding. The energy he fired off was collected between two tines and then magnified five hundred-fold before blasting forth as a huge beam of scarlet. 

Tekkadread Dita was struck dead center and was forced apart into Dita's Dread and Slade. His armor was so badly damaged that it would certainly not survive another direct hit. And when he saw that his enemy was powering up for another shot, he knew that there was only one thing he could do. 

"P-PEGAS!" 

Despite being heavily damaged, the loyal Tekkabot diverted all of its remaining power to whatever systems that were still operational. It sped toward him and Slade managed to get on its back, narrowly evading the killing blast from his adversary. 

"Pegas... prepare the... Super-Voltekker..." 

"Affirmative." 

The Vanguards went in to try and run interference for their commander, but the modified Cube-Types kept both them and the remaining Dreads busy. With the three Paksis-powered fighters heavily damaged, the only hope left was the Tekkabot. 

---------- 

Tekkaman Saber decided to momentarily forget about finishing off Slade and directed his attention to the Nirvana. Without any hesitation, he began firing off volley after volley of amplified Anti-Voltekker beams at the pirate vessel. 

The Nirvana's shields buckled under the strain and in his navigation well, Bart was feeling pain like he never felt before. He contacted the engineering section and demanded why the shields weren't stopping the blasts. 

---------- 

"That's what I'd like to know!" Parfat shouted back as she looked at the reactor with worry. It was glowing red, just like it had done before, and even little Pyoro seemed to be getting sicker. 

---------- 

Slade struggled to his feet as the energy collectors of the Tekkabot raised to receive the power from his Voltekker. He would only get one chance at this as he began concentrating the last of his energy reserves.

"Pegas... set for maximum payload!" 

"Roger."

Slade trembled, as all the power he was focusing was primed for release. The effort might kill him, but he would make sure that Saber would go down with him! Gripping the two handles of the collector units, he aimed at his target and... 

"SUPER... VOLTEKKER!" 

A massive beam of blue-green quantum energy and ki lanced toward the scarlet Tekkaman. However, the enemy vessel turned and Slade's opponent opened fire with a beam of his own. Both attacks struck each other and for a moment, it seemed that they would cancel each other out. But in the end, Saber's beam overwhelmed Slade's and the massive backlash slammed into the two of them. The enhanced Vanguard was put out of commission and it seemed that its pilot was also no longer able to fight back. The enemy vessel advanced on the now drifting Slade to finish him off. 

"SLADE!" Meia cried out. 

"NO!" Xian Pu exclaimed. 

"GET AWAY!" Ukyo shouted. 

"IT CAN'T END THIS WAY!" Jura sobbed. 

"MR. ALIEN!" Dita desperately tried to get her fighter moving, but it wouldn't respond fast enough. She had to do _SOMETHING_ to help Mr. Alien. At that moment, a bright blue light appeared on her forehead. At the same time, Meia and Jura also had lights on their foreheads, colored in white and red respectively. Each light took the shape of Slade's Tekkacrystal. 

---------- 

"Do you know how long I've waited for this moment, Slade?" The scarlet Tekkaman said as he took dead aim. "Ever since that defeat, I thought of nothing but your total destruction! And now, with my Ultra Anti-Voltekker, I can at last defeat you, once and for all!" 

Slade tried to move, but he was too much in pain. Power was seeping out of the cracks in his armor and his body was numb and growing cold. As he saw the enemy ship with Tekkaman Saber astride it, he knew that this might be the end. As Saber powered up for one final blast, Slade focused whatever willpower he had left into his ki. 

_This... may be like my nightmare... but... that's only when I'm asleep!_ Slade thought. 

The amplified Anti-Voltekker was primed. 

"I'm almost sorry that you are defenseless, Slade." Saber taunted. 

_When I'm awake... I don't have to worry about some stupid dream!_ The White Tekkaman began powering up his aura. 

"After all this time, this was sadly... too easy!" Tekkaman Saber fired off the beam. 

**_I WON'T LET YOU BEAT ME!_** Slade let loose with his ki. At the same time, a green light in the shape of his Tekkacrystal appeared above his eyes as he felt some new kind of strength being lent to him by some outside forces. 

The Ultra Anti-Voltekker engulfed the stricken Tekkaman, causing a huge explosion. 

---------- 

"SLADE!" Meia and Jura screamed at once. 

"MR. ALIEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN!" 

At that moment, the three symbols on their foreheads became as bight as newborn stars. 

---------- 

Magno became solemn as she watched the apparent demise of a great ally... and an even greater friend. It seemed that the Grim Reaper would not be denied a second time. However, just as tears began to form in her eyes, something caught her attention. Something... no, someone was emerging from the center of the blast. 

The figure cleared the explosion and flashed toward the enemy vessel. It was surrounded in a nimbus of emerald light and if one looked closely, one could see that it was a human-shaped. It seemed that the pressure, intensity of the attack, plus three outside catalysts had triggered a startling metamorphosis. 

"What's... happening?" Buzom gasped as the pirates watched in awe. 

---------- 

Slade found himself glowing with more power than he had ever thought was possible as his ruined armor began reformatting itself, becoming larger and more robust. The shoulder guards became raised and took on a brighter sheen. His helmet became a bit bulkier and the armor on his legs and arms became thicker. Two winglike appendages emerged from his mid-section as the evolved Tekkaman was born. Tekkaman Slade had just become... TEKKAMAN BLASTOR! 

---------- 

"COOL!" Dita exclaimed. 

"And... I thought he was elegant before!" Jura said breathlessly. 

Meia was totally speechless. 

All three pilots were unaware that glowing symbols had appeared on their foreheads. 

---------- 

"I don't believe it. Slade has..." BC tried to find the right words for the unexpected transformation. 

"He's... evolved." Magno said simply. 

---------- 

"WHAT IS THIS?!" 

Saber was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events but instantly got over it and let loose with another blast of amplified Anti-Voltekker. 

However, the newly evolved Tekkaman Blastor easily dodged the attack, then disappeared from sight. 

"WHAT?! NO ONE IS THAT FAST!" 

Slade reappeared behind the alien vessel and held out his arms horizontally in front of his chest. Sections of his gauntlets opened up to reveal small energy collectors. His shoulder plates also slid out to reveal larger units. His body trembled as black orbs of energy condensed within each Voltekker unit. They came together into one large ebony sphere that resembled a miniature black hole. More energy pulsed about in front of him as he prepared to release his awesome payload. 

Saber desperately swung his ship about and began preparing to fire. 

"I don't know what is this transformation, but _I WILL DESTROY YOU SLADE_!" 

Just as another amplified Anti-Voltekker blast was released at its target, Tekkaman Blastor let loose with his own attack. 

---------- 

"All ships! Pull back!" Magno commanded. 

As the pirates raced to get clear, Gascogne managed to snag towlines to the pod and Pegas and got them inside her ship. An instant later, she put up her shields to their highest settings. 

---------- 

"MEGA-VOLTEKKER!" 

The energy blast was at least ten times more intense than Tekkaman Saber's attack. The red beam was reflected back easily and coupled with the massive beam of Blastor's, the resulting explosion sent energy pulses throughout the entire sector of space. The alien vessel was atomized, and it seemed, so was Saber. The remaining alien fighters were reduced to scrap. The Dreads, Vanguards, supply ship and the Nirvana just barely survived the explosion, which was equivalent to a millionth of a supernova's force. Their shields had been strained to their maximum levels, but they managed to escape annihilation. 

When all became dark in space once more, Tekkaman Blastor, now totally exhausted, drifted like a chunk of space debris. Luckily for him, Xian Pu flew toward him in her Vanguard and carefully cradled him in the mecha's hands. She made an about-face and headed to the Nirvana. 

On board the three Paksis-powered Dreads, the three pilots let off sighs of relief. The symbols on their foreheads faded away as they followed the Amazon Vanguard operator back to their mothership. 

---------- 

As the evolved Tekkaman was brought to the hanger deck, the effects of exhaustion and energy depletion took their toll. In an instant, his armor faded into nothingness, leaving a severely injured Slade in the arms of Xian Pu's Vanguard. Once he was set down on the hanger floor, the unconscious Slade was immediately put on a stretcher and was raced to the sick bay. 

---------- 

Two days later... 

Slade woke up in an infirmary bed and was immediately hugged by a concerned Dita. 

"Mr. Alien!" 

"Arrgh!" Slade gritted his teeth, as his body was sore all over. 

The redhead immediately released him and stepped back. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Alien!" 

The Tekkaman shook his head and looked about. Several members of the Vanguard squadron, including Xian Pu along with Meia, Jura, Barnette, the captain, the first officer, Bart and Duero, surrounded his bed.

"Welcome back Slade." The good doctor said. 

"Ooh." Slade rubbed his forehead as he felt a major headache coming on. "How long was I out?" 

"About two days." Duero replied. "I must say that you're have the fastest healing rate I've ever encountered. You sustained enough injuries to kill a normal person a hundred times over, but now all you have is a mild concussion and several bruises. By tomorrow, I'd say that they'd be all gone." 

Slade shrugged. "Something I've learned during my training journeys. So what happened?" 

"We were hoping you'd tell us." Magno said. "How did you change into that... more powerful Tekkaman?" 

"You know... I really don't remember much about that." He scratched the back of his head. 

It was then that Parfat contacted the sick bay. 

"Captain. The pod is finally ready to be opened. We've cleared it of all that excess quantum energy and the life readings within it are still stable." 

Magno nodded as she turned back to Slade. "So, you think you're well enough to go down and greet whoever you saved?" 

Slade was silent for a moment before nodding. 

---------- 

An hour later, in the main hanger... 

"And that should do it." The head engineer said as she keyed in the last of the codes on the locking mechanism of the pod. The capsule let off a hiss as the insides depressurized and the hatch swung open. 

The crowds that surrounded the capsule leaned forward to see its contents. 

"It's a girl." Meia said as she and the others gazed upon a young, slender, human female in a yellow and white jumpsuit. She had dark blue hair that was tied up in a simple ponytail and wore triangular earrings. She appeared to be in a deep slumber. 

Slade, who was standing on the opposite side, decided to move to get a better look. 

"Is she an alien?" Dita asked. 

"No, she's human, like us." Parfat replied. 

Slade found out that he was still a bit unsteady from the battle. So it was understandable that he tripped over someone's foot and fell forward. He landed in front of the open capsule and found himself looking into a pair of eyes. 

Eyes? 

The figure in the capsule had awakened and had begun to look about. When her gaze met Slade's, her earrings twinkled and a small holographic image of a blob with eyes appeared. The image twittered and seemed to speak in a kind of language composed of beeps and chirps. 

The girl smiled as she looked up at Slade. Then... she spoke. 

"You... you're the one who saved me?" 

Slade was a bit unsure of how to answer. "Uh, well... technically speaking... I helped save you." 

The girl let of a squeal of joy as she suddenly sat up and looped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. 

"Oh thank you, my Prince Charming!" 

Of course, this elicited some very unhappy responses from several females. 

"PRINCE?!" 

"CHARMING?!" 

"AIYAH!" 

"NOOOOOOOOOOO! MR. ALIEN WILL UNITE WITH DITA!" 

In the back of the crowds, Paiway was busily scribbling down notes. 

"This is a very strange and exciting development! Pai check!" 

---------- 

On Earth... 

Saber had failed. Their latest weapon against Slade had ultimately proven to be ineffective. The news of its demise and the appearance of the evolved Slade had quickly reached the leaders of the once blue-green planet, and they were getting desperate. The Harvest so far had hit quite a few snags, ever since that first battle with the crew of the Nirvana and the accursed Tekkaman Slade. Despite their best efforts, the space warrior had continued to defy them and destroy every one of their attempts to procure the necessary human organs to continue their existence. 

The planet of Melanos had become even more resistant to their attempts to harvest them, just after they had met the Tekkaman. The planet Anpathos had recently given up their ideals of worshiping their gods, the Munya. Having been forced to think for themselves, the inhabitants were now realizing that their own lives were more important than blind obedience to an unseen deity.

This could not continue. For the sake of their own lives, (at the cost of the lives of everyone else), the Tekkaman must be destroyed! Copies of the Tekkadreads and Slade himself were not enough. 

It seemed that it was time to up the ante... 

---------- 

In space... 

The red Tekkaman thought he was dead. In fact, he may as well be as his body floated among the debris of his now devastated fleet. He had just barely managed to escape obliteration by letting his Anti-Voltekker ship take the brunt of Slade's Mega Voltekker. His armor was so badly damaged that it was only fit to be recycled. His body was in so much pain that death would have been welcomed at that point. 

However, the enemy Tekkaman had no intention of dying. His thoughts were of revenge and puzzlement. Thoughts about defeating rival, and puzzlement on how Slade had attained a more powerful Tekkaman form danced in his head. 

_How? How did he do it? How did he get so much power?_

As he continued to drift, Saber noticed that he was no longer receiving any cybernetic impulses from his Earth masters. That could only mean one thing. He had been abandoned. The leaders of the Harvesters no longer considered him as important and had wiped their hands clean of him. 

Well that suited Saber just fine. However, he couldn't attack the Earth leaders, due to that bio-chip in his brain... 

_Wait a minute... why don't I even feel the presence of the obedience chip?_

Saber made an internal check on himself, and smiled evilly at the results. Apparently, the effects of the Mega-Voltekker had an unexpected dividend. The bio-chip had been burned out when the blast had hit. It had caused Saber immense pain, but the chip was now inactive and therefore... 

Though it would take some time for Saber to recover on his own, the red Tekkaman knew that he was free of his Earth masters. In time... he would take his revenge on them. Then... there would be a reckoning between he and Slade. 

To be continued... 

Author's Notes 

Whoa! That was a long first chapter of the second stage. So how did you like the introduction of Tekkaman Blastor? 

One of the things I liked about Vandread was the fact that the crew had to rediscover themselves and the intricate relations between men and women. In this case, Slade _ALREADY_ knows about it and has to... instruct the others about it. Furthermore, we have the crew themselves questioning their current cultures and present ideals. Eventually, this will develop into some comedic and serious events as the story progresses. 


	3. Chapter 2: Baby Blues

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Tekkaman Blade, Ranma 1/2 and Vandread belong to their respective creators, so go bother them! 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 2**

**Baby Blues**

"According to the pod's medical files, her name is Misty Corwell and she's fourteen years old." Duero announced as he and several of the Nirvana's crew stood in the Sick Bay. 

"Correction." Paiway interrupted as she held up her frog hand puppet. "She's fourteen, plus 63 standard years in cryonic suspension, making her a total of seventy-seven-years-old! Kero!"

"I stand corrected." Duero smiled as he looked down at his patient and noted that she was starting to come around. 

Misty slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on in a bed in some kind of medical facility. There was a large group of people surrounding where she lay. As her vision began to clear, her earrings let off a golden light and projected that same blob-like figure from before. 

The projection made some inquiring noises, which Misty replied, "It's all right Q-Chan." She then sat up, then began shivering. "I'm cold." 

The doctor placed a blanket over her shoulders. "You're still feeling the effects of cryonic hibernation. It will take some time for your body to warm up back to normal levels." 

As soon as she turned her head and got a good look at the physician's face, Misty immediately smiled. "Wow! You're really handsome!" 

The Tarak healer became a bit confused at the statement and didn't know how to reply to the compliment. "Uh..." 

At that point, a thought clicked in Bart's mind. "Hey! You lived during the time when men and women were together, right?" 

"What are you, some kind of idiot?" Misty asked in an irritated tone. 

Slade chuckled a bit as Bart became deflated at being called an idiot. Then the Tekkaman became nervous when Misty began giving him a funny look. 

"Hey, what's his name?" She asked the doctor as she pointed to Slade. 

"Oh." Duero snapped himself back to reality as he replied. "If you don't mean Bart, then I suppose you mean Slade." 

Misty took on a very lovelorn expression and let off a sigh. "Slade. What a wonderful name! Slade and Misty, sounds really good!" 

This development immediately made Dita quite agitated. Why was this stranger giving Mr. Alien such funny looks? 

_Oh boy! I don't like the way this is going!_ Though it was true that Slade had been feeling the hormone effects of his body's reaction toward females, he wasn't certain that getting into any kind of involvement with this girl was a good idea. Especially since some of the other girls in the Sick Bay were giving the newcomer the so-called Evil Eye. Among them were Dita, Jura, Xian Pu, Ukyo, Meia... _Hold on a second! Meia?!_

It was true. For some unexplainable reason, Meia found herself immediately disliking the girl as Misty continued to direct her goo-goo eyes at the Nirvana's second-in-command for defense. _Why do I feel like tearing out this girl's hair?_ She thought to herself. 

Misty, seemingly ignorant of the glares, continued to sigh at her 'Prince Charming.' "You know... I've always been a firm believer in love at first sight! You know... like the Red String of Fate! Well... don't just stand there! Come closer to Misty!" The projection of Q-Chan first elongated itself like a piece of string, then reshaped into a heart. This made Pyoro become agitated.

"NO!" Dita cried out as she placed herself between Misty and Mr. Alien. She spread out her arms while shaking her head. "What are you talking about?! Red is the color of _BAD_ aliens!" 

The two girls glared at each other as tensions rose to new heights. 

"Uh... can't we all just get along?" Slade said, trying to diffuse the situation, but it seemed that no one heard him. 

Misty gave everyone who was staring at her with confusion or jealousy, a funny look, then addressed Duero. "Hey, is she his girlfriend or something?" 

The good doctor became even more puzzled. "Girlfriend? I'm... not familiar with the term." 

"What? Are you really serious?" Misty noticed all the expressions of confusion and non-comprehension, and then addressed the hologram on her shoulder. "Q-Chan, these people are really weird!" 

"You're the one who's weird!" Jura said. 

Slade gently pushed Dita aside and walked up to Misty. "Please, don't think that we're being insulting or anything. You see, just about everyone on board came from planets that either had all men or all women. So it's not too surprising that their ways of thinking are different to what you're used to." 

"You mean... you're...?" 

"Oh no! I'm not from Tarak or Mejele! I don't really know where I'm from, but I know about that kind of... stuff." _Whoops! Wrong thing to say._ Slade became more tense as Misty started to lean closer. 

"So... if you don't _HAVE_ a girlfriend then..." 

"NO! STAY AWAY FROM MR. ALIEN!" Dita shouted out and she glomped onto Slade's right arm and began pulling him away. 

"YOW! WATCH IT!" Slade winced as he was still feeling the effects of his last major battle. 

Behind them, Jura took on an introspective look. _Hmmm... so Slade **KNOWS** about that kind of thing. Interesting..._

In the back of the crowd, Paiway wrote in her little notebook. "Things are getting really interesting! Pai Check!" 

---------- 

Later... 

"Well, this day is certainly full of surprises." Magno remarked as she and her first officer headed toward the Sick Bay. 

"Indeed. So what do you think is stored in this information module?" Buzom asked as she held up a cylinder, which had been found in the suspension capsule. 

"Why don't we ask our guest?" 

The two women entered the medical facility to find Duero administering some sedatives to the patient in question. 

"So how is our visitor today, Doctor?" The captain asked. 

Duero nodded. "She's recovering fine from her long hibernation, but it will be some time before her body fully stabilizes. Right now, she's resting for a while." 

"So I guess that means that we'll have to decode this information module ourselves." BC commented as she looked down at it. 

---------- 

"It's so unfair!" Dita pouted as she and Ezra sat in the cafeteria. "They've just met and she's already hugging him!" 

Ezra moved about in her seat, as she tried to soothe her distraught friend. "I'm sure that it's nothing to be upset about. After all, put yourself in her position. She wakes up one day and finds herself being surrounded by a group of unknown people. She has no one that she can turn to, except for Slade." 

"Why Mr. Alien?" 

"Well... I suppose it's because he's the only one who understands her. After all, he seems to know about what it was like between men and women. And he has been to other planets." 

"It's still not fair!" 

---------- 

The Engineering Section... 

"Okay, here we go." Parfat nodded as she inserted the information cylinder into the decoder, which was also hooked up to Pyoro. It had been the same device, which she had used to read the information on Rabat's data cube, after Slade had pounded it out of him. The machine was one of the Engineer's best inventions. Modeled after her prototype Inter-pricko, the apparatus was able to unscramble the most sophisticated of codes and languages by using universal communication concepts, and comparing them to those stored in the Nirvana's database. Since the cylinder that Misty had with her, most likely came from Earth, it was a simple matter to program the system with common Terran algorithms and such. She didn't expect any problems. Behind her, Buzom watched with interest. 

---------- 

The Cafeteria... 

"I still think it's unfair." Dita continued to pout. She began wishing that she were back to chasing Mr. Alien again, but after that business with the Earth battleship, Slade had made her promise to stop. 

"Give it some time." Ezra soothed. "I'm sure that Slade will _ERK_!" The young bridge officer suddenly started gasping and clutching at her enlarged belly.

"Ezra! What's wrong?" Dita immediately came to her friend's side. 

"My water broke the Baby!" 

---------- 

Slade sighed as he exited the Register. Just what was he going to do? He had been thinking about those looks that new girl had given him, plus the reactions of the other crewmembers. He felt as if he was sitting on a time bomb that was set to go off soon. 

_Yeesh! What else could happen today?_

As if in answer to his question, he heard Dita's voice as she called out to him. 

"Mr. Alien! We need your help!" 

Slade was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked up and saw the Dread pilot struggling with Ezra leaning against her. He immediately rushed to their side while contacting the Sick Bay on his personal communicator. 

---------- 

As soon as Duero received the message, he immediately ordered Paiway to begin prepping the Emergency Room as he started rereading the contents of his instruction manual, (the How-To book). However, a minute later, the lights suddenly turned off, along with every other piece of equipment in the Sick Bay. 

---------- 

"What's going on?" Buzom demanded as she and the engineer found themselves totally in the dark. They had just inserted the data module into the decoder, when Pyoro let off a some warning sounds, then suddenly shut down, This in turn caused a chain reaction occur within the ship's main systems and everything except life support, communications and a few other key functions, were deactivated. 

Parfat immediately began running diagnostics, using some portable instruments that ran on their own power cells. She gasped as she looked at the readouts. "Oh no! That information module had been booby-trapped with some kind of computer virus! It's caused total shutdown on nearly all of the Nirvana's power grids! We're basically dead in space!" 

The First Officer knew that without power, they were defenseless and if the enemy should attack 

---------- 

"What's going on?" Slade cried out as the elevator that he, Dita and Ezra had been riding suddenly stopped between floors. The emergency lights activated, bathing the small chamber in a dim, blue light. On the floor of the elevator, Ezra let off another cry of pain as she had begun to go into labor. Kneeling behind her and cradling her head was Dita. 

"Duero! Can you hear me?" Slade said to his communicator. 

The doctor replied, though it was a very faint signal. "Slade! Where is Ezra?" 

"She's with me and the UFO girl! We're in the elevator south of the Sick Bay and it just stopped between deck four and five! We're trapped in here!" 

"Parfat just informed me that a computer virus has been released into the Nirvana's power grids and nearly all of the systems have been shut down. What's the condition on Ezra?" 

"Not good! I think she's going into labor. She said that her water just broke and I think her contractions are getting shorter! Looks like that baby wants out!" 

In the Sick Bay, Duero was surprised to hear Slade talk as if he knew about baby delivery. "You know how to do this?" 

"_HEY_! You don't go hopping around planets that still do it the old ways, without picking up something!" Slade shouted back then realized that now was not the time to panic. "I know some of it but I never really _DONE IT_!" 

"Well it looks like you're going to have to do it, D-Boy." 

Both Duero and Slade were surprised to hear Magno's voice. The captain had been listening on their conversation and decided to give a helping hand. 

"SAY WHAT?!" The Tekkaman cried out in shock. He was a martial artist and cosmic warrior, not a midwife! 

"Slade doesn't have the medical expertise!" Duero protested. 

"And how many babies have _YOU_ delivered, Doctor?" The old woman countered, then addressed the trapped Tekkaman. "D-Boy, I know this is going to be difficult for you, but right now, you don't have a choice! Besides, since you already know some things, then it shouldn't be too hard and I'll help walk you through it." 

"Can you use your powers to get Dita and Ezra out of the elevator?" Duero asked, suggesting an alternative. 

"No!" Buzom interjected as she communicated from the Engineering section. "According to the ship's diagnostics, that elevator won't hold for very long and any further stress would cause it to fall down the shaft!" 

In the elevator, Slade gritted his teeth. BC was right. He couldn't use a ki bolt to blast his way out, and transforming to his Tekkaman form in such a confined area would endanger both females. At the moment, the most pressing concern was Ezra's child. 

It looked like Slade was about to undergo his most challenging ordeal yet 

It was at that moment that the enemy decided to attack. 

---------- 

_**WHABOOOM!**_

The Nirvana shuddered as several Harvester Cube Fighters came out from the void and began firing at it. Without their long-range sensors, the pirates had been unable to detect their enemy's approach. And with the Dread Fighter Catapult also non-operational, they couldn't launch a counterstrike. Shields were down, which meant that the ship was totally defenseless!

---------- 

The elevator 

Slade gritted his teeth as he took off his jacket and folded it into a makeshift cushion. Placing it on the floor in front of Ezra, he took a deep breath and made eye contact with the mother-to-be. 

"Okay, Ezra are you ready?" 

The young girl gasped as her contractions became shorter, but managed to nod. Kneeling behind her was Dita, as she was supporting her comrade's back. The redhead gave Slade a reassuring smile as she held up her communicator to him. 

"Okay, Doc, Grandma! Talk me through this!" 

---------- 

The Sick Bay 

"Slade, how far are Ezra's contractions?" 

"Uh I think she had her last one about two maybe two-and-half minutes ago." Slade replied. 

"That's it. She's going into labor. You should be seeing some fluid coming from Ezra. That's the amniotic fluid that will help the baby pass through the birth canal." 

At that point, Magno's voice cut in. "You can forget all that scientific jargon Doctor. This is something that one must experience firsthand." She then spoke to Slade. "D-Boy! Spread her legs apart and get ready to" 

"I think I got that part figured out!" Slade interrupted as he said a silent prayer and got down to business. The elevator shook violently with each hit as the attack continued. 

On the bridge, Magno couldn't help but smile. For a man, D-Boy certainly was well versed in these kinds of things. Another man from Tarak, save for the doctor, would have fainted at the sight of natural birth. 

---------- 

In the Register, Gascogne was running her staff ragged, literally. Without power, the Nirvana couldn't launch any fighters to deal with the enemy attack. So they had to improvise. 

Some of her staff had been thinking of losing weight, so the Head Supplier had them running on treadmills and going on exercise bicycles, which were connected up to the main power grid. The girls panted and sweated as they used raw muscle power to generate enough energy for the Fighter Catapult to work. 

Down in the hanger, Barnette, Meia and the other Dread Pilots, along with the Warrior Squadron prepared to take off. Since the Vanguards could launch without a catapult, Xian Pu led her team through the large hanger bay and out into space, after getting the main doors opened up. The so-called 'manual launch' simply consisted of the humanoid mecha running out and jumping into the void. Once in space, they powered up their thrusters and engaged the enemy, thereby demonstrating once again, the versatility of the formally hated men's machines. 

At this time, Barnette was wishing she were piloting a Vanguard as the process of launching Dreads was taking far too long. One by one, the Dread pilots were sent out into space, as they came together in formation and joined their comrades in the Van-Types. By the time Barnette was shooting down her first opponent of the day, Xian Pu and her wingmates had already racked up an impressive kill ratio. 

---------- 

"I I can't do this!" Ezra screamed as the pain increased. Her body was in absolute agony as her breathing became shorter and her contraction rate increased. 

"Yes you can!" Slade said, as he was about to receive a newborn life. 

Ezra shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I I can't! I'm I'm scared!" 

"It's okay, Ezra. I'm scared too!" Slade admitted as he could see the first signs of the baby emerging. 

"You're scared, Mr. Alien?" Dita said in surprise. She didn't think Slade was scared of anything. 

Slade gave both girls a whimsical smile. "It's been my experience that fearing nothing is for idiots. If you're not afraid of anything, then that can get you killed real quick. I learned that the hard way with Saber and the Harvesters. Being scared is natural and it helps keep you alive sometimes. But listen to me, Ezra. This is what you wanted, right? This is the reason why you got the seed. You want this more than anything, right?"

Ezra sniffled back her tears and nodded, before letting off another gasp. 

Slade gave her another reassuring smile. "Being scared is okay, as long as you don't let it keep you from doing what needs to be done! And you need to do this! That baby needs you and I need you to help me! Are you ready? We're almost there!" 

Ezra nodded again. "T-Thank you, Slade!" She then resumed pushing. 

---------- 

Out in space, Meia and her Dreads darted about as they continued to engage the enemy units. The Dread Leader knew that they had to win this engagement and quickly. Gascogne couldn't launch her supply shuttle to rearm the Dreads and the Van-Types were getting low on ammunition. Most of the Warrior Squadron was now reduced to melee weapons. 

Just then, she saw that two large capital ships were heading straight for the Nirvana. She contacted her squadrons to begin attacking the two Seed Ships. 

Xian Pu also noted the approach of the two vessels and ordered her team to do whatever they could to slow their approach. Releasing the last of her missiles at one of the ships, she then took out her Vanguard's Polearm and charged in. Several others followed her, wishing for the appearance of their commander Slade. 

---------- 

Slade however, had his hands full, literally. The baby was almost out as he urged Ezra for one final push. 

Just then, the ship was rocked to one side, then to another. 

---------- 

Meia gasped as she and the others witnessed the two Seed Ships launch some metal tendrils at the Nirvana. Each metallic strand pierced an arm of the pirate vessel. Now using the tendrils as towlines, the Seed Ships then began towing the Nirvana away. 

Both Dread and Vanguard leaders immediately commanded their teams to attack the tendrils as freeing the Nirvana became top priority. The mecha fighters began chopping away with their bladed weapons while the sleek Dreads fired with everything they had. 

However, it seemed that nothing could stop the enemy from finally claiming victory. That is until 

---------- 

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" 

Slade let off a sigh of relief as Ezra's baby girl took in her first breath of air and cried out. He just managed not to faint at the sight of the newborn. A minute later and Ezra pushed out the after-birth remnants, including the umbilical cord and the placenta. 

---------- 

At that moment, Pyoro suddenly came back online as his monitor displayed the phrase 'password accepted.' All systems on the ship had begun to function normally again, with the exception of the shields, due to the fact that there were two Seed Ships with their tendrils piercing the hull. Then the Nirvana shuddered again as several Cube Fighters scored a direct hit on the section that was near where Slade and the others were trapped in the elevator. 

---------- 

The elevator shook and then an awful grinding noise was heard as the braking mechanisms, which kept the group from plummeting down the shaft, gave out. With a final lurch, the elevator began to fall. 

Inside, Slade gritted his teeth as he felt the sudden drop. _Damn! No choice now!_ Quickly wrapping Ezra's child in his jacket and handing it to her, he then shouted out to both women. "GRAB ON TO ME!" 

Raising both arms up with the palms spread, he powered up his inner energy and fired off a short blast of ki and quantum energy. The top of the elevator was blown clear off, as he reached out and used one arm to bring Dita close to him and the other to Ezra. The new mother was clutching her daughter close to her chest as Slade took a deep breath then jumped straight up. 

Powerful leg muscles propelled the four up and out of the elevator like a rocket. The car was sent hurtling down from the force of reaction as Slade and his passengers went the other way. As he reached the apex of his jump, he managed to direct his trajectory toward one of the walls of the shaft. Using the surface o rebound off, he triangle-jumped to the opposite wall, then bounced off that side, up to the door to Deck Four. Knowing that he only had one shot at getting it right, he extended his right leg out and kicked.

**_KA-WHANG! _**

The elevator doors exploded outward as Slade went into a tuck-and-roll, using his body to cushion the impact and protect the girls, as they landed on the hard on the floor in a tangled mess. A moment later, a thunderous crash was heard from the open shaft as the elevator hit the bottom. 

Slade let off a sigh of relief as he slowly disentangled himself from the others. 

"Hey, is everyone okay?" 

"I I'm all right." Ezra said slowly as she checked the precious bundle in her arms. The baby let off a loud cry, but she saw no injuries to her child.

Dita shook her head to clear it, then gave Slade one her smiles as she looked down at Ezra and her baby. Seeing that they were fine, she nodded. "We're okay! That was amazing, Mr. Alien!" 

Slade was so relieved at hearing this, that he didn't even bother to remind the redhead not call him, Mr. Alien. At that point, he heard a familiar and annoying voice. 

"DON'T WORRY! PYORO WILL SAVE PYORO 2!" 

The Tekkaman frowned as he saw the annoying automaton rushing toward them. Behind it was the doctor and Paiway. 

"You think you can handle things here?" Slade asked Dita as he got up and made his Tekkacrystal appear. 

The redhead nodded as the Tekkaman began running toward the nearest airlock. 

---------- 

Out in space, Meia led her fighter squadron in a concentrated assault on one of the Seed Ships. The attack focused on cutting the Nirvana free of the metal tendril that was attached to it. The line was finally severed, freeing the pirate vessel from one of its captors. However, that was when the Dread Leader realized that her fighter and the others were almost completely out of ordinance and ammunition. She was about to lose hope when she caught a flash of emerald light coming out from the Nirvana, which was followed by another object from the main hanger bay. At the same time, the Nirvana's maneuvering thrusters starting firing as it tried to pull away from the enemy ships. 

---------- 

"Sorry I'm late!" The Tekkaman called out as he landed on the Tekkabot's back and sped toward the nearest Dread, which was Jura's. "I had my hands full delivering Ezra's baby. Both are doing fine!" 

The pilots of both the Vanguards and the Dreads began cheering at the news as the Tekkaman and Jura's Dread began fusing together. Tekkadread Jura immediately assumed its tiger form and raced toward the remaining Seed Ship, which was still attached to the Nirvana. 

Inside Tekkadread Jura, Slade focused his energies into the instruments and aimed for his target. 

"TIGER CLAW VOLTEKKER!" 

With one swipe from its claws, the tiger mecha cut the last remaining tether, thereby freeing the pirate craft completely. 

---------- 

"Yes! That was absolutely perfect!" Jura exclaimed. 

"Let's finish this off!" Slade cried out was he saw that both Earth ships and their escorts were still pressing their attack against the Nirvana. "PEGAS COMBINE!" 

The Tekkabot acknowledged the order and flew toward the Tekkadread. In seconds, the machine merged and initiated the third transformation of Jura's fighter, forming a cat-humanoid mecha. Tekkadread Jura X got between the enemy and the Nirvana and raised its shield arm. The energy barrier it produced began absorbing all incoming shots from the Cube-Types. When it reached its limit, the barrier let loose with a feedback blast, obliterating all the lesser foes in one shot. Then its claws began emitting massive amounts of energy waves as it let loose with its ultimate attack. 

"CAT FIST VOLTEKKER!" 

The two Seed Ships were sliced in half, then exploded moments later, thereby ending the conflict. 

---------- 

Later 

"What? You mean that the password was a baby's cry?" Magno asked as she had just been given Parfat's analysis. 

"Yes." BC nodded. "Apparently, Ezra's baby saved us all from the virus. That capsule was programmed to respond to a certain audio frequency, specifically that of a baby's voice." 

"So you're now able to read the information on that capsule?" 

"Yes. I was about to play it." 

"Have it playing on all communications. I want the entire crew to hear this." Magno ordered. 

---------- 

Everyone on board the Nirvana stopped what he or she was doing, as view screens appeared and began relaying the message. They depicted an image of a laboratory and two people. One of them was an aging, balding man with a kind of technological monocle and a beard. The second person was a woman with long brown hair and was wearing a kind of metal visor. The visuals were somewhat grainy, but everyone could see it overall. Then the man spoke. 

"I apologize for the trouble we may have inadvertently caused to you, but it was my belief that the cry of a baby was a sure sign of a flourishing human civilization. We are from the Earth, or rather what is left of our homeworld. To fully understand the situation that you are now facing, I feel that reviewing our planet's history is in order." 

The screens then depicted an image of a blue-white planet with a kind of ring floating around it. 

"This is what our planet Earth looked like, more than a century ago. Around it, you see the structure that we had named the Orbital Space Ring. It had been intended to be a kind of launching station for when humankind would begin colonizing other planets. It had also been intended as a line of defense against hostile invaders. Despite having suffered countless wars on Earth, humankind still had its sights set on the stars." 

The woman nodded as she took over the explanations. "However, that was not to be, for when the Earth was finally ready to take its first voyages into space, it fell under attack by an unknown and extremely powerful alien race." 

The scenes now depicted the Earth under attack by the same forces that had wiped out the Radam. The planet and the surrounding space became littered with ships, debris and explosions as Earth's fleets were decimated. 

"We fought them for as long as we could, but it cost us nearly 90 to 95% of the planet's population. Near the end of the war, the survivors were left with two options: continue to battle or flee our Earth. During that time, a new energy source was discovered after some freedom fighters had captured an alien battlecruiser. It seemed that we were not the only race in which the aliens had battled. They had taken a new kind of technology from another race that was known as the Radam. The technology was referred to as the TEKKAMAN POWER SYSTEM." 

---------- 

This immediately got Slade's attention. He had heard the name of Radam several times before during his travels. His gaze became fixated on the view screen as the man took up the explanation again. 

All through the ship, the women gasped in total shock as everyone began thinking of Slade. Was he a part of the Earth forces that were after their body parts? 

---------- 

"Using this new power source, which we later renamed Paksis Pragma, we were able to create a fleet of transport ships in order for the survivors to flee into space, in the hopes to colonize other worlds and preserve the human race. Those that stayed behind used a second Paksis prototype to continue the fight against our alien enemies. We won however, victory came with a terrible price." 

The woman nodded. "Our alien adversaries were only concerned with survival and saw us as nothing but food. However, after defeating our enemies, we became _LIKE_ them. After losing contact with the colony ships, the remainder of Earth's dwindling populace fell into despair, thinking that they were the last vestiges of the human race. Eventually, they fell into a state of madness. Now see our once-beautiful world as it is now." 

The scene changed to display and image of a dark world surrounded by machinery. Slade became even more shocked as he recognized it was the very same place in which he had awakened from the Tekkapod. 

_It can't be! If that's the Earth, then I'm_

---------- 

The man spoke once again. "The Orbital Space Ring is now a cage of gears and machinery. Our natural satellite Luna has been engulfed within it. Within that cage, the few surviving humans have set up cities in which to live, for the surface of the Earth is no longer capable of supporting us. The insides are like giant washing machines with constant acidic storms and very small landmasses. Because of this environment, humans have reached a genetic saturation point in which we could no longer evolve. As a result, no children can be born on Earth." 

---------- 

This news brought even more shock to the crew of the Nirvana. Ezra became especially nervous as she held her baby close to her chest. 

---------- 

"Cloning has also failed as we are now at an evolutionary dead end." The man continued. "Then finally, the need for self-preservation, just like the alien enemies we had defeated, became all-encompassing. The idea to use the organs of those who had survived in space was instigated. The people of Earth had long-since lost their sense of morals and are now only concerned with survival, at the cost of everyone else's lives. Using their Paksis Pragma, they had constructed a fleet of automated machines, to efficiently harvest the humans who had set up colonies on other worlds, without mercy. The leaders of Earth are even trying to fully understand the Tekkaman System, so they may achieve absolute power." 

The man shook his head sadly as he finished up his explanations. "I do not know how we came to this madness, but I feel that this will only lead to the final destruction of our once-proud race. For those of you who have received this message, I implore you to resist all attempts to harvest you. You are truly the hope for humanity and our torch to the future!" 

---------- 

Magno nodded as the message ended. "Let it be known that we have received your message and we shall continue to fight on." She then turned to her first officer. "BC, it is now more imperative than ever that we warn Mejele and Tarak of this danger. We must do everything in our power to ensure a bright future" She thought about Ezra's baby and added. "A future in which that new life can grow in peace." 

Buzom solemnly nodded as she instructed Bart to resume the trip back to their home system. 

---------- 

Slade wandered the hallways of the ship, not particularly caring on his destination. His mind was a billion light years away, as he considered all that he had just learned. 

_I'm from Earth! For so long, I've wondered just where I came from, and now I find out that I'm from the same place as our enemies are from! I can't believe that they have the Tekkaman Power System! Then again, that could explain Saber. Does this mean that I'm one of them? No! That's not possible! This is all so confusing! Just when I learn one answer, I end up with a hundred more questions! Who and what am I? What does it all mean?_

"D-Boy." 

Slade's head came up when he heard Magno and turned around. He assumed that he was so preoccupied, that he didn't notice the old woman coming behind him. "Oh hello Captain." 

"I've been looking for you. I've called for you several times on the intercom, but you never responded." 

"Sorry about that, Grandma. I've been thinking about a lot of things..." 

"Yes, I guessed that you would be, considering what we've learned about our enemies, and about you. If you're worried about the crew becoming hostile against you because of that message about the Tekkaman Power System and the Earth, then don't be. We may not have all the answers about you, Slade, but after what we've all been through, we all know that you are _NOT_ the enemy, but our friend." 

The Tekkaman gave her a small smile. "Thanks. That does make me feel a little better." 

"Good. Oh yes, I wanted to tell you that Ezra would like to see you in the Sick Bay, concerning her child." 

"Huh? Is something wrong with the baby?" He became concerned, and began to think that the escape from the elevator had hurt the innocent child. 

Magno waved off his fears. "The baby is doing fine. Ezra told me that she wanted to see you now. It seemed to be something of great importance." 

---------- 

The Sick Bay 

"It's sooooo cute!" Dita remarked as she and Pyoro gazed upon the sleeping child. Lying beside her was Ezra as she was recovering from childbirth. "So what are you going to name her?" Dita asked. 

"Her name is Pyoro 2!" The robot said enthusiastically. 

"No way! That's not cute! Especially for a girl!" 

"The decision has already been made!" Pyoro maintained. 

"We should ask the captain on a name!" Dita interjected. 

"Pyoro 2! Pyoro 2! Pyoro 2!" 

Ezra gave the robot a gentle smile, but shook her head. "I'm sorry Pyoro-chan. But I did tell you before that I would choose a name for her. I never said that it would be Pyoro 2." 

"Of course her name is Pyoro 2!" The automaton said. "What else could it be?" 

At that moment, Slade came into the room. 

"Uh hi." Slade was a bit nervous as he saw the mother and child. 

"Hello Slade. I'm glad you came." Ezra greeted. 

"Hey Mr. Alien! You want to help us pick a name for Ezra's baby?" Dita asked. 

"She already has a name!" Pyoro argued. "It's Pyoro 2!" 

The Tekkaman frowned at the indignant little machine and said in a firm tone, "I think that Ezra is the only one who has the right to name the baby. After all, she belongs to her and _YOU_ had nothing to do with the baby's creation." 

Pyoro was about to argue further. He then got the message and backed down, when Slade held up a fist, and powered some of his ki into it. The robot knew that Slade could reduce him to scrap in an instant. 

He then lowered his fist and started smiling at the new mother. "So Ezra? What name have you chosen?" 

The gentle bridge officer smiled back as she replied. "I've decided" 

"Pyoro 2, right?" 

Both glared down at the machine, which made it go silent. 

Ezra continued. "As I was about to say, that I've decided to let you name my daughter." 

The former Saotome was totally taken by surprise by this. "Me?" 

Ezra nodded while Dita smiled. "You saved my life, Dita's and my baby. You helped bring my little girl into this world. I can't think of a better way to thank you than to have my daughter grow up with the name that you've chosen." 

"I don't know what to say. I'm honored." 

Ezra nodded. "So what will be my daughter's name?" 

Slade took on an introspective look as he tried to recall every name for a girl, that he could think of. For a moment, he thought about naming the baby Seran, in honor of that kind Melanos engineer who died during a Harvester attack, but then decided to choose something else. In the back of his mind, another name seemed to call out to him. It was a name that he had often heard in his dreams, though he had no real recollection of it. He had often suspected that the name had something to do with his long lost past. He smiled as he bent down over the baby's bed. 

"So you've chosen the name of Pyoro 2, right?" 

_**CLANG! WHUMP!**_

Pyoro circuits became glitched, after Slade used an index finger and flicked the annoying little machine away. It was now lying on the other side of the Sick Bay, with its main screen showing static and giving off some electronic moans of pain. 

"Beep! Sqwark! Bzzzt! Bleep! Error!" 

Slade addressed the little one in a quiet voice. "Your name will be Nodoka." 

The name brought a smile to the baby's face as she continued to sleep. 

At that moment, Misty came in, dressed in a simple nightgown. 

"Hello everybody." 

Ezra nodded. "Oh hello. And how are you today?" 

The young girl nodded as she replied. "I'm feeling fine, thank you. Congratulations on the baby. " She then grinned as she immediately went over to Slade. "I just heard that you named the baby Nodoka. That's really nice."

"Uh yeah." 

"So what name will you give for our baby?" 

"HUH?! SAY WHAT?!" 

"You're so darn cute when you get like that!" Misty reached up, brought Slade's head down to her and kissed him full on the lips. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Dita was in a state of total shock as their lips touched. Mr. Alien belonged to her! 

Misty licked her lips as she pulled back, leaving an equally shocked Slade. "Mmmmmm vanilla! My favorite!" She then reached up to kiss him again. 

_**WHOOOOOOOOSH! **_

Slade left a huge dust trail as he left the Sick Bay at supersonic speed. 

Nearby, a certain someone clicked her camera. 

"Pai Check!" 

---------- 

Later 

Duero frowned as he saw the results of his initial analysis come up on the computer's monitor. He had hoped that his suspicions would prove incorrect, but instead they were dead on. He began running a series of additional calculations on his findings, but their results came up the same. He shook his head as he saw the final projections. 

_Not good! Not good at all! This is very disturbing. I need to do some more tests, but if they turn out to be the same as the first one, then the future of both Mejele and Tarak is in jeopardy._

---------- 

The Bridge 

Magno smiled, as she was just informed on the name of Ezra's baby. 

_Nodoka, eh? Now **THAT** is a name in which I haven't heard of in a long, long time. I wonder where D-Boy heard of that name?_

To be continued 

Author's Notes 

Well that finishes off the second chapter. From here on out, the series is going to take several twists and diversions from the original Vandread the Second Stage. I also have some new surprises waiting in the next couple of episodes, as well as some new characters, thanks to a few of my reader's suggestions. Who's going to get Slade in the end? Well, that's still all up in the air. 

See you next time! 


	4. Chapter 3: The Difference Between Men an...

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: By now, the readers should know that Vandread, Ranma 1/2 and Tekkaman Blade belongs to their own respective creators. 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 3**

**The Difference Between Men and Women**

Slade sighed as he headed toward the gym for a little exercise and to work off some tension. Over the last 2 weeks since the birth of Ezra's daughter Nodoka, (in which Pyoro still insisted that the baby's name was Pyoro 2), things had taken some dramatic changes. The biggest changes of all were with the Nirvana's helmsman Bart Garsus and the Dread pilot Jura Basil Elden. Unbelievingly, Bart had actually grown a backbone and Jura was now interested in men, particularly the Tekkaman himself! 

Slade's thoughts went back to that fateful day when the Nirvana had encountered another planet that was under the Harvestor's rule. (1) 

Slade became even more disgusted about the world of his origin after learning that the planet had been one of sites in which massive environmental and genetic experiments, (courtesy of the Earth), had taken place. As a result, the soil, water and air had been polluted and the inhabitants were doomed to a slow and painful death from the time they are born. Very few ever made it past the age of forty. 

What was even worse was that the Earth collected the bodies of the dead like vultures, leaving nothing for the people to remember their loved ones by, after they perish. As a result, the people spend most of their lives creating little wooden dolls of themselves, to prove that they had existed on that poisoned world. Each doll was placed in a large storehouse and was the only legacy of a person's life. 

The pirates had tried; they had really tried to help them. However, nothing short of terraforming the entire planet could have saved them all. The best they could do was to seal off a few small areas with Paksis, so that any future babies could be born normal and healthy, forever protected from the lethal effects of their planet's biosphere. 

It was a pity though, that the rest of the population could not be spared as well. One person in particular had every right to live, but died at the tender age of nine. Her name had been Shirley and it was because of her that Bart finally decided to grow up. 

Bart had formed a very close bond with the little waif and had excited her with tales of his 'great adventures' in space. Though he was lying like a rug, Slade couldn't fault the boastful moron for keeping the little one's spirit up. In fact, she had begun making a doll of Bart as a keepsake. 

Unfortunately, during an attack by the enemy, Slade had been busy with Jura in keeping the planet's atmosphere contained with her Tekkadread's shield. As a result, the Dreads and Vanguards had been badly outgunned and would have been destroyed, were it not for Bart. He had been reluctant to leave Shirley, but through an act of true bravery, he faced off against the enemy and using a new weapons system on the Nirvana, actually defeated the enemy single-handed! However, by that time, the innocent girl who wanted only to finish her doll... died. 

Bart had become heartbroken over Shirley's death. He had even begged Slade to use his powers to bring her back. However, as great as a Tekkaman's power was, the former Saotome had no control over life and death. It seemed that Bart would slip into the deepest of depression. Fortunately, thanks to some advice from Magno, he found the will to carry on. In fact, in honor of Shirley and her unfinished doll of him, (which had no hair), Bart had decided to shave off his own blonde locks. This had surprised nearly all of the crew, but Slade could tell that the helmsman would be all right. Though Bart's new look would take some time to get used to. 

Slade's thoughts then turned to Jura, and he shivered a bit as he remembered that time in her Tekkadread... 

---------- 

Flashback... 

"Roger Parfat. We'll keep things under control here." Slade replied as he signed off. Sitting beside him in her chair was Jura, who had just finished polishing her nails. Currently, the Tekkadread was in its first form with its barrier surrounding the entire planet. 

"Slade?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you realize that we're all alone up here?" Jura started to lean forward seductively. 

"Yeah... so... what's your point?" Slade became nervous as he started edging back into his seat. The way she was leaning forward was showing off more of her ample bosom and since she never wore a bra, Slade could start making out her... Slade winced as he tried to banish such thoughts from his mind. This was definitely not the time! 

Jura's smile became slyer as she continued. "My point is that there is no one else up here. That means... whatever happens will be just between the _TWO_ of us!" 

Slade began frantically backpedaling from her as heart and breathing rate began to climb. "Whoa! Hold on there! What are you talking about?!" 

Jura giggled a bit as she began following him. "Oh come now, Slade. I _KNOW_ you know what I want! I told you before that I wanted a baby and I just _KNOW_ that you'd make the perfect ohma for my little girl! Also, I want you to name her when she's born, just like you did with Ezra's. She's going to be beautiful, I just know it!" 

"Whoa! Slow down! I don't think you've thought this though!" Slade waved a hand in front of him, trying to stave off both the very willing and voluptuous Jura, as well as the effects of his own body to her advances. A very large part of him wanted to jump her bones and it was taking a _LOT_ of his willpower to keep him from acting on his more primal instincts. (2) 

"What else is there to think about?" The blonde pilot said while shrugging her shoulders. "I've decided that it's time for me to be a fahma." 

"What brought this on?" Slade asked. 

"Well... after seeing how beautiful Ezra's baby turned out, I feel that I'd make a good mother myself." 

"Okay... I guess, I can't argue with that, but why me?" 

"Why not? After all, men and women _USED_ to be able to make a baby right?" 

"Yeah... so what's your point?" 

"My point is that I want my baby to be perfect, and I think that using your seed would give me the ideal daughter!" 

"Whoa! Hold on a minute!" The Tekkaman interrupted as he began inching away from her. At that point, he was grateful that the seats were able to move freely around the circular cockpit. "It looks like you still need to know a few things." 

"Oh?" 

"Yeah... ah, I guess I should explain this a bit more." Slade felt very uncomfortable as he tried to describe the 'birds and the bees' to her. He had only given Duero and Bart a general overview of the process of natural procreation, and now he had to describe the procedure to the flighty Jura. "Ah... for one thing, yes it is true that a man and woman can make kids together, but it's... really personal and... it involves... really... close interaction... between the two." 

This perked Barnette's friend's interest immensely. "Really? Go on." 

"Ah... well... it's like this. Uhmmmm... the man and the woman have to be... close." 

"Close? You mean... like this?" Jura immediately moved toward him, which caused the Tekkaman to backpedal even further. "What's wrong? Aren't I supposed to be near you?" 

In his frantic efforts to keep Jura from getting closer, Slade accidentally brushed an arm against the Tekkadread's console. This activated the communications systems, audio only, on all channels. As a result, _EVERYONE_ heard. 

Uh oh. 

---------- 

The bridge... 

Slade: Uhhhhh... that's not quite what I meant... but yes, you do have to be close and... 

Jura: I'm getting confused. Am I supposed to be close to you or not? 

Slade: Uh... well, I kind of meant close as in... uh, how do I put this? 

Jura: You're making even less sense. Look, all I want is your seed. It's not like I'm asking for very much. 

Slade: Says you! That's asking a lot! Besides, it's not that easy! Do you even have _ANY_ idea what you and I have to do, in order for me to give you my... uh, seed? 

Jura: No, but I'm sure that I can do it! How hard could it be? 

Slade: _SAY WHAT?!_

Magno and Buzom looked at each other in confusion over this conversation. Then both women, along with everyone else on the bridge began eagerly listening in. 

---------- 

The Register... 

Jura: You said before that you knew about how a man and a woman could make a child. Well, I'm a woman and you're a man, so it shouldn't be any problem! 

Slade: Ah... well, technically speaking that's right... more or less. 

Jura: So why don't we do it now? I can't wait to have my little girl! 

Slade: Er... there's something else you should be aware of. 

Jura: Like what? 

Slade: Well... if you really want to a baby the old-fashioned way... I can't guarantee that you'd get a daughter. 

Jura: What are you talking about? 

Slade: Well... when a man and a woman... join... it's... ah, er... up to luck. 

Jura: Luck? 

Slade: Together, a man and a woman can have _EITHER_ a boy or a girl. If I gave you my... seed, (and I'm not agreeing to it yet), then you'll only get a fifty-fifty chance of getting a female baby. You could end up with... a son. 

Jura: A son. 

Slade: Yeah. You _STILL_ want to do this? There was a very long silence as the people who were listening on the conversation held their breath for Jura's reply. Finally, she answered with a smile. 

Jura: Hmmmm... the first woman not only to have a child made by a man's seed, but also the first to give birth to a boy! That's great! 

Slade: Come again?! 

JUra: Let's get started right away! 

Slade: You've got to be kidding! It's not _THAT_ simple and besides, we can't just take our clothes off and ... er, uhh... forget I just said that! 

Jura: Oh, so we need to be naked to get the seed? Sounds _VERY_ interesting. I can do that. 

All of the Register Girls, especially Ukyo, began blushing furiously when they hear the sounds of clothes being removed. Apparently, Jura wasn't shy about certain things like nudity. 

Slade: HEY_! WHAT YOU DOING?! PUT THAT BACK ON!_

Jura; You mean, we're not supposed to be naked? 

Slade: Well yes, urk, no... argh! Just put your top back on! 

Jura: What's the matter? (sniffle) Do you find me... ugly? Is that why you won't give me your seed? 

Slade: N-N-No, I think you're very beautiful, and... ah, it's not like it hasn't crossed my mind before, er... but I chest, er I mean I _JUST_ can't... er, uh, ah, I think that it would be breast, (ack), _BEST_ if you think about this some more! 

A sigh is heard with more rustling of fabric, indicating that Jura was clothed again. 

In her office, Gascogne smirked and thought that this was _WAY_ better than any soap opera being shown on Mejele. 

---------- 

The Vanguard and Dread hanger... 

Jura: I've already thought about it, and I _WANT_ a baby! I want it made from a man's seed, and I want yours! 

Slade: Not that I'm not flattered, 'cause I am, but why me? 

Jura: I told you; my baby should be made from the best and you are the best man I've ever met. 

Slade: Uh... thanks, I think. 

Jura: Besides, anyone who kisses the way you do would make a very good ohma for my child. Remember Anpathos? Mmmm, I can still remember you grabbing me and... 

Slade: Hey! I thought we weren't going to mention that! 

This immediately got the attention of certain girls. 

"What?! Mr. Alien kissed Jura?!" Dita gasped. "It's not fair! Jura and that other girl got to kiss him! I want him to kiss me!" 

Meia also became a bit agitated at hearing this, though she couldn't understand why. And she also didn't understand why she was imagining herself pressing lips with Slade. 

Xian Pu similarly felt a kind of anger at Jura for being with Slade, as she too had entertained thoughts of him being the ohma to her children. 

---------- 

The Sick Bay... 

Jura: Come on Slade. Show me how it's done! You said before that you know about that sort of thing. 

Slade: Well, yeah but... I can't just... look, it's really personal and ... I can't just... 

Jura: I can't believe that you're afraid to give me your seed! Are you a man or not? 

Slade: Hey! Now you're getting personal! 

Jura: If you truly are a man, then you should show how strong and brave you are! 

Slade: What does courage have to do with my seed? 

Jura: No excuses! No more waiting! I want that seed _NOW_! 

_**Crash! Bang! Whomp! Thud! Whump! **_

Duero became puzzled as he heard some thumping and bumping noises. 

Paiway was busily scribbling away on her notebook while her recorder taped every word. "PAI CHECK!" 

---------- 

Jura: Now where is it? Where do you find the seed on a man? 

Slade: Hey! What are you doing?! 

Jura: Is it here? 

Slade: Whoa! Watch those nails!

Jura: Maybe here? 

Slade: Yow! Keep off! 

Jura: Maybe over here? 

Slade: That tickles! 

Jura: Now where is it?! 

Slade: Whoa! Don't do that! Hey! Don't go there! What are you doing? Keep those hands to yourself! 

Jura: Or maybe... _IT'S HERE_! 

_**RIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPP!**_ (the sound of some fabric being torn) 

Slade: Arrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhh! 

The noises suddenly stopped and all became silent. Everyone on the Nirvana and the planet's landing party eagerly listened to their communicators. Finally, Jura's voice was heard. 

Jura: Whoa... so... the rumors about men were true. 

Slade: That's not funny! Now give me back my pants! 

---------- 

Two of the bridge officers looked at each other in confusion. 

"What do you suppose she meant by that?" 

"Maybe it's about that...?" 

"It is." Magno said with a bit of a smirk and a chuckle. 

Both girls blushed as they realized what Jura must have seen. 

---------- 

Jura: I... er, ah... never... ah, believed that men did have... ah... wow... it's... 

Slade: Well, we have them! So stop gawking and give me back my pants! 

Jura: I mean, I've heard the stories, but... 

Slade: Give me back my pants! 

Jura: Is that real? I mean...it's so... b- 

Slade: _WILL YOU JUST GIVE ME BACK MY PANTS?!_

Jura: Oh sorry! Here you go. 

(We now hear the sound of pants being quickly put back on.) 

Slade: I can't believe you did that! 

Jura: I'm... sorry, but I really want your seed and... wait a minute! 

(Jura snapped her fingers in realization) 

Slade: What now? 

Jura: That's it! 

Slade: What? 

Jura: It's there, isn't it? 

Slade: Huh? 

Jura: That's where a man's seed is! It's in your... 

Slade: Hey! Let's not go there! We've got a job to do, so let's just forget about this! 

Jura: I'm right, right? That's where a man's seed is! 

Slade: I'm not talking to you! 

Jura: Oh no you don't! Now you are going to show me just how can I get your seed from that... 

Slade: I said no! And let's not talk about this any more! 

At that point, the interior of the Tekkadread became flooded with holographic communiques. 

"I want to know how too!" 

"Slade is going to be my Ohma, Sugar!" 

"I want Mr. Alien to kiss me!" 

"Does Slade really have that...?" 

"Do all men have that?" 

"Let's see it!" 

"So how do you get a man's seed?" 

"Can I have your seed too, Mr. Alien?" 

"Get in line Dita!" 

At this point, Slade screamed to the heavens above. 

"_WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP?!_" 

---------- 

End of flashback... 

That was quite possibly the most embarrassing situation he had ever been in. Since that time, the Tekkaman had been bombarded by countless questions from the crew about the ancient practices of procreation and more than a _FEW_ requests to strip. The only time he was ever naked in public was when he transformed, but the process was usually too bright for anyone to see his privates. Slade grumbled as he decided that a good hot soak would be better to ease his stress. He then changed his direction and headed for the bathing area. He knew that it was empty at this time of the day so he was certain that no one was going to bother him for an hour. 

---------- 

A few minutes later... 

Little did Slade know that several girls had decided to take an impromptu bath, and were also heading towards the same place. As they headed toward the bathing area, they conversed with each other. Each girl was carrying her personal bath items. 

"Ah, I've been looking forward to a nice, long soak in the Jacuzzi all week!" Jura said as she led the group. "After all the constant fighting, it's good to be able to relax." 

"You said it! I need a break from the Register." Ukyo agreed. 

"Nothing eases the muscles, after a long training session, like a hot tub." Xian Pu added. 

Meia, Dita and Misty nodded as they followed the others to the changing stations, which were adjoined to the main bathing areas and stalls. In a few minutes, they all shed their clothes and laid them out in a nearby laundry hamper. As they wrapped themselves in towels, Jura caught sight of several articles of clothes that were definitely not feminine. 

"Well now, what do we have here?" Jura's smiled as she picked up a certain jacket. 

Dita gasped as she recognized it. "That's Mr. Alien's!" 

"What are Slade's clothes doing here, unless he's...?" Meia's question trailed off as she heard the sounds of splashing water in the next room where the large hot tubs and sauna were located. 

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh! That feels good." 

The girls stiffened up as they heard the Tekkaman's voice. Ukyo, Xian Pu, Meia, Dita and Misty all began blushing as they realized who was in there. As for Jura, her smile became devious as she started rubbing her hands together. With one quick motion of her right hand, the towel was flung off, leaving the blonde pilot in all her naked glory. 

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Misty asked in alarm, as Jura began heading toward the entrance to the bathing area. 

"What's it look like?" Jura said with a glint in her eye. "This is an opportunity that I just _CAN'T_ pass up!" 

This caused the rest of the girls to be even more shocked. 

"No!" Dita said as she ran up and got between Jura and the door. She spread her arms out wide and shook her head emphatically. "Mr. Alien is in there!" 

"Exactly." Jura nodded. "With no clothes and this door being the only way in or out, there's nowhere for him to run. It looks like I'll be getting that seed sooner than I thought!" 

"You can't! I won't let you!" 

Misty nodded as she too stood in front of Jura, blocking her path. "For once I agree with her! We're not going to let an old lady like you get near Slade!"

"Who are you calling an old lady!?" Jura said in outrage. Her expression then softened as she tried a different tactic. "Now come on girls, aren't you the _LEAST_ bit interested in seeing Slade in his birthday suit?" 

The cheeks on both girls reddened as they suddenly brought up an image of a nude space warrior in their minds. The rest also began to feel embarrassed, yet curious. Sure they had seen Slade transform, but the process only allowed them to see an outline of his body, as it was usually too bright to make out any details. 

Jura went on as she addressed Dita. "Don't you _WANT_ to know everything about 'Mr. Alien,' Dita?" She turned to Misty. "And Misty, since you're from that time in which men and women lived together, I'm certain you know what I _SAW_ of Slade. And I must admit, he was quite... impressive." 

Misty's cheeks took on a deeper tone of crimson as a series of very naughty thoughts entered her mind. She began twiddling her finger while bowing down her head in embarrassment. "You mean... Slade is really...?" 

"Mmmmhmmm. I wasn't exactly certain what it was, but it was _VERY_ interesting. And that's where a man's seed comes from, right?" 

"Uh... yes." Misty replied in the barest of whispers. 

"Ah, good! Then I shouldn't have any problems." The curvaceous blonde then began moving toward the door again. 

"Hold on!" Misty came out of her embarrassment and spread her arms out, blocking Jura's path again. "You can't just go in there!" 

"Oh? And why not?" 

"Because Slade wouldn't interested in a old bag like you!" 

"Old bag?! I think you should take another look, skinny!" The blonde took a seductive pose, showing off her lush charms to their utmost, especially her breasts. Then she poked a finger at Misty's chest. "Maybe you should wait a few more years to fill out before you start calling anyone an old bag! That is, if you ever do fill out!" 

The younger girl gritted her teeth at the insult. The fact that Jura had an extremely sexy body added more to the insult. Misty knew about how men were stimulated and Jura's assets would certainly get a (ahem) rise out of Slade. However, she wasn't going to give up on her Prince Charming. 

"Hmpf! Having big breasts isn't everything! I'll bet all the blood that goes to those boobs leaves your brain with very little oxygen!" 

"What did you say?!" 

"If you didn't understand that, then I was right. Your chest is taking up all the smarts. I'm sure that Slade would prefer a girl with more up here," She tapped her right temple. "Then down there." She then poked at Jura's bosom. 

"Why you little brat!" 

"And even if you did go in there, you still don't know _WHAT_ to do with Slade to get pregnant!" 

"Oh, I believe I can get Slade to show me. I was close the last time!" 

"Hah! Close doesn't count!" 

"Well I was a _LOT_ closer than you!" 

The two then began getting into a heated argument as the others watched. This was most unprecedented event in the history of Mejele. Two women were actually fighting... over a man. What was even more surprising was the fact that they too were thinking about going into the bath area and getting Slade's seed. Even Meia couldn't understand why she was feeling so... warm and... wet at the thought of encountering a nude Slade. 

It was at that moment that she noticed that someone was inching her way toward the door. 

"Dita! Where are you going?" 

The redhead stiffened a bit as she turned to face her squadron leader. "Ah... I was just thinking that Mr. Alien... might need some help in scrubbing his back and..." 

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Misty and Jura said together as they momentarily forgot each other and raced toward the entrance to the bathing area. 

Both Xian Pu and Ukyo nodded. They had decided that this was their only chance. Five females pushed and shoved at each other, trying to get through the narrow opening. In the mass of writhing bodies, their towels came loose and fell to the floor. With one final push, they all tumbled naked into the bathing area... to find it completely deserted. 

"Where's Mr. Alien?" Dita asked as she picked herself off the tiled floor and looked about. 

The other girls got to their feet and surveyed the huge bath area. However, there was no sign of the Tekkaman, naked or otherwise.

"Oh no! We missed him!" Jura pouted as she angrily turned to Misty. "This is all your fault! If I had gotten in here sooner, then I would have been a fahma nine months from now!" 

"Don't blame me! He wouldn't have wanted an empty-headed bimbo anyway!" Misty retorted.

The two resumed their argument while the other girls conversed. 

"How do you suppose he got out?" Ukyo asked. 

"He couldn't have gotten past us. There's only one exit." The Amazon Vanguard pilot pointed with a thumb at the door they had come through. 

"Maybe he used a secret alien power?" Dita suggested. 

"Don't be ridiculous, Dita." Meia said. 

"Well... how much do we really know about Mr. Alien?" Dita insisted. "I mean, he may have powers that we haven't seen yet. Maybe he can make himself invisible?" 

Meia began reconsidering Dita's suggestion. She had a point. Slade was a man of many talents. What she didn't know was that invisibility was not one of them. The subject of the discussion was actually closer than anyone had thought. 

---------- 

Slade winced as he clung naked to the very high ceiling of the Nirvana's communal bath. When he had heard voices from the changing station, he knew that he was in trouble, especially when he heard Jura's voice. That Dread pilot was bound and determined to get Slade most 'precious' bodily fluid and she wasn't at all shy about being naked. 

The Tekkaman gritted his teeth as he found out that he didn't have a good grip on the ceiling. His hands and feet were still wet and he was starting to slip. 

_Don't look down! Don't look down! Don't look down! Don't look down!_ However, when he heard some splashing noises, he looked down. 

_ACK!_ Slade squirmed uncomfortably. The girls had decided to start bathing and Slade saw... everything! 

Jura's figure had silky smooth skin and her long, blonde hair spread out like a blanket of gold. The strands flowed like ribbons of satin as they draped over her shoulders and her large, round... (argh!) He quickly shook his head and turned his gaze elsewhere, which was where Xian Pu and Ukyo were bending over a couple of stalls, raising up their firm... (urk!) He tried to look elsewhere, but ended up seeing Meia as she was soaping up her legs, which led toward her... (aggghhh!) Finally he tried to look at a far corner, but saw Dita and Misty glaring at each other, while they were scrubbing their chests. Slade noted that though Misty was only fourteen, her chest were starting to show signs of... _Quit it!_, which contrasted with Dita's well-formed... _I said quit it!_

Slade could feel a lot of pressure building up in several areas of his body as he tried to regain control of himself. However, that was when he felt a nosebleed coming on.

_I can't let them see me now..._

That was when Slade's hold on the ceiling slipped and gravity took over. 

---------- 

Meanwhile on Earth... 

"So, how is the process going?" One of the Earth leaders asked as he and the rest of the council stood in a laboratory. In front of them were three cylinders in which certain individuals were gestating. 

The technician nodded as he replied. "The maturation process is nearing completion, Masters. We expect them to be ready within three or four days." 

"Excellent. We expect these three to exceed that failure Saber." 

---------- 

Outside of the communal bath of the Nirvana... 

Crewmembers who were passing by suddenly stopped when they heard a huge splash from the bathing area. Then they heard more splashing and a flurry of activity and voices. 

"EEEK!" 

"AH HAH! SO THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE HIDING!" 

"MR. ALIEN!" 

"SLADE!" 

"COMMANDER!" 

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM YOU OLD BAG!" 

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN OLD BAG?! NOW THEN SLADE, I WANT..." 

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" 

"HEY! WATCH IT!" 

"WOW! IT REALLY IS TRUE ABOUT MR. ALIEN!" 

"WELL DUH! OF COURSE IT IS! WHOA, IT'S SO..." 

"ER... IS THAT...?" 

"YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE SLADE! I WANT THAT SEED!" 

"LEAVE ME ALONE! TEKSETTER!" 

The entire chamber rumbled as a huge explosion rocked it. A minute later, the shaking stopped as the door to the bath opened up. Out stepped a seven-foot-tall armored figure. Draped over one arm were his human clothes as the Tekkaman angrily stomped down the hallway. The people in the area quickly made a wide berth to allow the irritated cosmic warrior through. 

When Slade turned the corner and was gone from sight, several girls decided to look into the bathing area. There, sprawled out on the floor of the now ruined bath are a, were six naked females with glazed looks on their faces. 

Jura let off a quiet moan. "I was _SO_ close!" 

---------- 

From that point on, Slade took showers in his own quarters. Most of the times they were _COLD_ showers. (3) 

Of course, the fires had already been lit. 

---------- 

A few days later... 

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" 

The bridge crew became startled as Slade came stomping in. His hair was still damp and it looked as if he had hurriedly put on his clothes after coming out of the shower. 

"D-Boy, what's wrong?" Magno asked. 

The Tekkaman held up his right hand. Clutched in his fist was a mass of mangled circuit boards, wires and what appeared to be a lens. "You mind telling me why the showers have hidden surveillance cameras in them?!" 

"They don't." Buzom replied. "Why would we have cameras in the showers?" 

Slade's temper rose by several degrees. "Then do you mind explaining why _MY_ shower has a camera in it?!" He smashed the remnants of the device on the floor of the bridge. 

At that moment, the two other men of the Nirvana also entered. Bart was panicky while Duero was looking very... perturbed. 

"Captain! We have spies on this ship!" Bart cried out. 

This made Buzom a bit nervous, but she quickly recovered. "What are you saying? How could there be spies on the Nirvana? We're in the middle of uncharted space!" 

"I found a hidden surveillance device in my quarters near the toilet! What else could it be but spies from the Earth?" 

The doctor shook his head while pinching the bridge of his nose. In a calm, yet somewhat restrained tone, he addressed the captain. "Please excuse my comrade's behavior at this moment. The possibility of spies on this vessel is slim to none, and I severely doubt that the Earth would be interested in the process of Bart's... er, bowel movements." 

"_HEY!_" 

"My apologies Bart." He addressed the captain again. "However, I cannot blame him for being in such distress. I have also found some questionable devices hidden within my own chambers, particularly the bathroom. Since we can rule out the possibility of spies, I can only surmise that one or more of the crew had placed those devices. I had assumed, that as part of this crew, we were entitled to our right to privacy." 

Magno and Buzom both had really _BIG_ sweatdrops as they had a hunch as to the culprits' identities. 

---------- 

Sick Bay... 

"I didn't want to do it, but Jura and the others made me!" Parfat protested as Duero had gotten the truth out of the engineer during a routine examination. "Really, you've got to believe me!" 

The doctor said nothing for a long time as he continued checking the brown-haired girl's vital signs. When he was through, he looked up from the monitors, sighed then nodded. "I believe you Parfat. Actually, I really can't blame any of you." He cocked his head a bit, and shrugged. "If the situation were reversed, then I might have done the same thing." 

"R-R-Really?" 

"Yes, well not quite in the same fashion, but still I would have been curious as well. Admit it. You wanted to know about my gender as much as Jura did when she asked you to bug our rooms, correct?" 

Parfat swallowed hard as was about to deny it. However, when she looked into his eye, (the one that wasn't hidden by hair), she found that she couldn't tell any untruths to him. With her head bowed down, she gave him the barest of nods. 

Duero gave her a small smile. "I thought as much. When Slade told me about the process natural procreation between men and women, I started looking into all of the ancient files and texts that I could find in the old section of the Ikazuchi. I started making some connections between the physical differences between men and women." 

The bespectacled female swallowed hard as she remembered what Jura had told her about Slade in the raw. "Y-Y-You... mean you've got that... thing between..." 

"Quite." The physician replied as he finished the examination. 

"Then... you know how men and women... made kids?" 

"Only in the general sense. Slade didn't go into the exact... mechanics, and those books I've read do not give much detail either. I've complied all the data from the old files, plus everything that I've learned about female anatomy." 

"Female... anatomy?" Parfat blushed a bit. 

"I'm a doctor on board a vessel with a nearly all-female crew, remember?" Duero reminded her. "In any case, until Slade tells me the entire story about ancient conception processes, I can only make approximations and theories on how it was done. After what had happened over the last few days, I highly doubt that Slade wants to talk about it. In fact, it was nearly impossible to coax him to give me a sperm sample from his last physical." 

"What's... sperm?" 

"That's what the seed of a man was called in the old days. I use that sample for various DNA testing and such. I've got it safely stored away. There's not much left and I intend to use the last of it for some experiments I'm conducting. After what happened, I doubt I could convince Slade to give me any more." 

"Y-Y-Y-You mean... you've _GOT_ Slade's seed? Do you realize what Jura and the others would do if they found out?" 

"Yes, I can imagine the consequences. So I trust you will keep this information to yourself, all right? I've already broken my oath of patient confidentiality by telling you this, but out of all the people aboard this ship, you are the one person, in which I have complete faith." 

Parfat's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment at the praise and she felt her heart beating faster. 

---------- 

Jura's quarters... 

Jura smiled as she turned off the listening device. Unknown to both Parfat and Duero, she had secretly planted a bug in the Sick Bay, in hopes of learning more about the old ways of procreation and of Slade. Now a grand opportunity had presented itself. 

Now the question was, how could she get a hold of it? This would require a lot of thought. 

---------- 

What Jura didn't know that while she was listening in on Duero, so were a few others. Since the blonde pilot wasn't as technically proficient with devices as Parfat, she did not know that in connecting the bug with the Sick Bay to her own chambers, she had also routed the device with the main communications system. The conversation between the engineer and the healer was transmitted to any comlink that was open at the time. 

---------- 

The Vanguard Hanger... 

_Huh? What's this?_ Xian Pu wondered as she read what was appearing on her Vanguard's main viewscreen. 

---------- 

The Register... 

Ukyo was just sending out a routine order when a certain bit of information flashed on her console.

---------- 

The Dread Hanger... 

Meia and Dita were both putting their Dreads though a systems check when they both saw the message. The two girls began blushing as they read it. 

---------- 

Misty's quarters... 

_I'll be damned if I'm going to let that bimbo beat me!_

Here we go again... 

----------

Earth... 

"Masters... they have been completed." 

The leaders of the Earth nodded as they watched their latest weapons against the Nrivana and that accursed Tekkaman Slade, step out of the maturation chambers. 

The head of the Earth Council addressed the newcomers. "You three shall succeed where Saber had failed! We shall give you some time to adapt to your new forms and organs, then you shall destroy the Tekkaman Slade, once and for all! I dub thee... Lance... Axe... and Rapier!" 

To be continued... 

Author's Notes 

I expect that my readers got a good chuckle out of this as we head into chapter 4. With this kind of situation, it was only a matter of time before the subject of S-E-X came up and how Slade would have to 'educate' the Nirvana's crew about it. Unlike the original Vanread the Second Stage, Jura is not going to give up on Slade as easily as she did with Hibiki. It's even more fun when there are other girls out to get him as well. 

Anyway, chapter four will introduce a band-new character, courtesy of one of my readers who had given me permission to use his idea. See you then! 

  
(1) I decided to forego the third chapter of the original Vandread the Second Stage as I did promise that Tekkadread would diverge from now on. In any case, I don't want to rehash what was already shown in the original. 

(2) Hey, he's been traveling alone for a _VERY_ long time, you know. He's not made of stone. 

(3) Naturally.


	5. Chapter 4: Enter the Phantom

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: So what are you looking at me for? Oh all right. Vandread, Ranma 1/2 and Tekkaman Blade belong to somebody else, blah, blah, yakety-smakety... 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 4**

**Enter the Phantom**

One year before the events of Tekkadread the First Stage... 

"Hey Viperson! What are you doing?" The lead pilot asked, as he was about to lead his group of scout vessels back to their home planet of Vegan. 

They had been patrolling the outer perimeter of their system, looking for any signs of the Harvestors that had been recently raiding a few of their most distant outposts. Like Mejele and Tarak, the Vegans were a human race that had been part of the original colony fleet from the planet Earth. 

"Corporal Ghaleon Viperson, I order you to resume formation!" The leader demanded as one of his squadron began going off in a new direction. 

The pilot in question shook his head as he began relaying the data on his sensors. "Sir, I think you'd better have a look at this. I'm getting some strange energy readings coming from sector G14."

"That's out of our assigned patrol area!" The scout leader said angrily. He had been having insubordination problems with the young and relatively new recruit for some time. 

Ghaleon was not someone that obeyed orders well. He was more of a loner and he had a bit of temper as well as an impatient streak. He was above average height at 6'5" and possessed long, silver hair that was tied back. His eyes were blue-gray and his body was slender, yet muscular. He was an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant, as well as an expert marksman with a proficiency in small arms, making him ideal for the military. 

However, his heart was in the right place and he was considered fiercely loyal to his comrades. He despised cruelty and would immediately jump into the fray when the strong picked on the weak. In retrospect, it was because of these admirable traits which also made him reckless. After seeing the horrors of the Harvester attacks, he would volunteer for any mission that would bring him into contact with enemy and give him to opportunity to pay them back. Several times, he had broken ranks and attacked the Harvesters head on. That had landed him in the infirmary more than once. 

However, Ghaleon would not give up and had sworn to keep fighting until the enemy was annihilated. As of now, he had become restless with the routine and totally ineffectual scouting missions. They should be taking the fight to the Harvesters and ending their menace, not go wandering about remote and empty areas of space where the enemy was nowhere in sight. He had gotten so bored that when his sensors picked up some strange energy readings, he pounced on the opportunity to relieve the tedium. 

His commander became very irritated as Ghaleon once again broke regulations and started heading toward a small nebula. "Corporal! Get back into formation!" 

"I just want to check it out. Who knows? This might be something that we can use to defeat the Harvesters." 

"Viperson! I'll have you thrown in the brig for _LIFE_! Return to formation! That's an order!" 

"It will only take a few minutes." 

"That's about as long as your court marshal will take! Turn back now!" 

"I... (squark) ... can't... (bzzt)... you... (crackle)... breaking... (fftt)..." 

At that point, the leader of the scouting group lost all communications with his subordinate. He let off an enraged snarl as he pounded a fist on his console. 

"What now sir?" Another subordinate asked. "Viperson's ship just disappeared from my sensors. I'm reading a lot of EM interference and a plasma storm was just starting up when he went into that nebula." 

"Damn it! I _TOLD_ him to stay in formation!" The commander let off an irritated sigh and was about to order his group to go in search of Ghaleon when his threat alarms went off. Appearing from behind the shadow of an asteroid were several ominous-looking vessels that looked like... mechanical octopi. Behind it was a gigantic vessel that resembled a giant seedpod. 

"_LOOK OUT! THE HARVESTERS HAVE FOUND US!_" 

---------- 

The men screamed in terror as they were mercilessly harvested and taken aboard the Seed Ship. One can only imagine the horror the scouting group briefly experienced before they were killed, taken apart and their organs preserved for the people of Earth. The process took only a few short minutes and then the automations began analyzing the star charts stored in the computers of the scouting vessels. The information was then relayed back to a nearby mothership. It seemed that the people of Vegan were an excellent source for lungs. So far, the Harvesters had only been collecting them from the Vegan outposts, but now they had the coordinates to their home planet! Along with the spinal cords of Anpathos, the skin of the Melanos and several other worlds, it seemed that this year's harvest would be very bountiful. 

---------- 

Floating in the erratic and lethal energy fields of the nebula was a gigantic asteroid. Embedded in its surface was the wreckage of a Vegan scout vessel, specifically belonging to Corporal Ghaleon Viperson of the Vegan Galactic Defense Fleet. The brash pilot had dived headlong into the plasma storm, which had damaged his sensors and caused him to crash into the asteroid. By all rights, that would have been the end of him, but he had defied all the odds. 

Viperson had managed to survive the crash, though he had been badly injured. He would have soon perished if not for one cosmic twist of fate. Apparently, he landed on the same spot where a certain ship had been buried under the surface for centuries.

It was a derelict vessel that had once belonged to the Radam. It had been lost during the great conflict between the Radam and the unknown enemy that would later attack the Earth. It had been dormant for well over five hundred years and would have remained that way, had Viperson's ship not crashed into it. The impact had jarred the Radam bio-computer in the ancient alien craft, causing it to release its cargo... of Tekkapods! Nearly all of them were inactive, due to faulty shielding and damage from the initial crash. The Radam devices had been exposed to the nebula's electromagnetic storms and their energies had long since been drained away. However, one was still functional and when it landed near the Vegan ship, its sensors immediately picked up the pilot's fading life signs and initiated the pod's prime directive. 

The dying Vegan had no chance of escaping as the pod broke into his vessel's cockpit and engulfed him. Drawing on energy from his ship's power core, the Tekkapod then began transforming Ghaleon Viperson into... 

---------- 

The present... 

The bridge of the Nirvana... 

"So you say you've been here before, D-Boy?" Magno asked as she and the Tekkaman looked at the main monitor at another Mission Station. Unlike the previous one they had visited, several hundred people occupied this one. 

Slade nodded as he replied. "Yeah. I remember this place. It's called Delta 6. It was one of the stops I made during my travels, before I hooked up with the Nirvana. The people happen to be a really rowdy bunch and..." He paused for a moment as he felt a strange sensation wash over him. For a brief moment, a small flash of emerald light in the shape of his Tekkacrystal appeared on his forehead, then faded away. 

"Is something wrong, Slade?" Buzom asked. 

Slade said nothing for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah. It's nothing. I just felt strange for a moment. It felt... familiar, but it's gone and I'm okay. So how about we say hello to those people?" 

---------- 

Deep within the Mission Station, another individual had also experienced a somewhat familiar sensation. The tall figure looked about but could see no sign of the source of his momentary discomfort. He shrugged as heard over the communications systems that a strange ship was requesting docking clearance with the station. 

---------- 

A little while later... 

"So are you the leader here?" Buzom asked as she and her party stood before what appeared to be a throne at the front of a large room that resembled an arena. Behind her was Slade, Dita, Jura, Gascogne, Xian Pu, Ukyo and Barnette, who just happened to be toting some pieces from her collection of antique firearms. Sitting on the throne was a slender woman with long hair and dressed in skintight bodysuit. On her left was a large, hulking bald man that looked like he hadn't bathed in weeks, if not months. 

"Yeah, I guess you could call me the leader, though it ain't exactly something great." The woman replied. "It's just that nobody around here has the guts to face me." She then addressed to the man on her left. "Isn't that right Patch?"

The man called Patch nodded. "Yeah. I mean nobody is suicidal to go up against you, Ms. Liz."

"Well I guess you could've called _ME_ suicidal the last time I was here." 

Everyone's attention was drawn to the one who had spoken out and many people, including the leader, gasped when they recognized the person behind Buzom. He had been keeping himself behind the others and avoiding eye contact with everyone. Now he stepped out into the open as he addressed the leader of Delta 6. "How long has it been since I kicked your butt, Liz?" 

"Slade?! What are you doing back here?!" Liz was in absolute shock as she stood up and gripped her weapon, which happened to be a beam sword. 

Dita became confused and a bit jealous as she asked. "Do you know this person, Mr. Alien?" 

Slade shrugged while nodding and smiling. "Oh yeah. Don't let her Tough Girl attitude fool you. Deep down, Liz is just a lovable pussycat and..." 

"_AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!_" 

Liz gave off a bloodcurdling shout of rage as she leapt down with her weapon activated. The energy blade came flashing down toward Slade's head. In an instant, the Tekkaman pushed Dita off to one side and leapt back into the arena, just as Liz's blade slashed at the spot he had been a heartbeat before. The rest of the Nirvana's party gave a wide berth as the station's leader charged after her opponent. All around them, people began shouting and cheering as the impromptu battle commenced. 

"Don't you think we should help Slade?" Ukyo the XVII asked, as she gripped her Battle Spatula. Behind her, Barnette and the others were also tensing up for battle. 

Xian Pu shook her head. "No. I don't think the Commander needs any help. Look, he's just toying with her. If he wanted to win, he would have stopped her as soon as she had attacked." 

---------- 

In the arena, Liz was getting frustrated as every one of her attacks was neatly avoided in an almost lazy fashion. Slade was still wearing that irritating smirk as he casually commented on each of her attempts to cut him to pieces. 

_**SLASH! **_

"Hmmm, you're _STILL_ swinging in too wide an arc. That's easy to evade." 

"Hold still!" 

_**WHOOSH! **_

"Too choppy. That's a sword you're holding, not a club." 

"I said hold still!" 

_**SWOOSH! **_

"Oh come on now! I would have thought you'd have at _LEAST_ compensated for that move!" 

"Damn you!" 

_**SLASH! **_

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What did I tell you before about losing your temper?" 

"_SHUT UP AND FIGHT ME!_" 

_**SHOOM! **_

"Oh all right, if you insist." 

_**THOP! WOP! KTANG! WHOMP! **_

Liz hit the floor of the arena hared on her face as Slade simultaneously knocked the weapon out of her hand and tripped her up. Before she could react, she was immediately put into half-Nelson with Slade's right knee pressing up against her back. As she started to struggle, the Tekkaman immediately began applying pressure while still smiling. 

"Give up Elizabeth?" 

"Don't call me that!" Liz spat back as she tried to free herself, but she found she had no leverage. 

"Okay, how about Lizzie, or maybe Lizard?" Slade applied more pressure. 

"Grrrrr!" 

"Well?" 

The long-haired woman growled for a moment, then grudgingly gave Slade a nod. 

The Tekkaman instantly released his grip and stood back as the leader of the Mission station quickly got to her feet. Seeing that her weapon had fallen too far away for her to try and grab for it, she settled with glaring at him for a long while. There was absolute silence for the longest of moments, then slowly both combatants began to tremble and finally, burst into peals of laughter. 

The crew from the Nirvana were in state of puzzlement over this new development as the two continued to laugh at each other. As they tried to figure out what was going on, another person in the crowds was giving Slade a contemplative look.

_He's good... better than anyone I've ever seen... but why do I feel that I'm supposed to know him?_

---------- 

Later, in the Station's bar... 

"You always were an unbeatable bastard Slade." Liz commented as she sipped from her wine glass. She and the Tekkaman were privately discussing a few things while the rest of the Nirvana's party was mingling with the people of the Delta 6. Since Slade was already acquainted with the leader of the station, Buzom appointed him as negotiator. 

"Nah. I wouldn't call myself unbeatable." Slade remarked as he sipped from his glass of club soda. The cosmic warrior had long since learned his lesson in humility with the Harvesters and Saber. "Just hard to kill." 

"So what brings you back to this stop to Hell? Are you with those other women?" 

"Yeah, well it's a _LONG_ story. Right now, we're just stopping for supplies and stuff. We're heading to the Mejele and Tarak home worlds to warn them about the Harvesters. You know them?" 

Liz let off a snort. "Know them? Hell, nearly all of the refugees on this station are here because of them!" 

This took Slade by surprise. "Really? I didn't know that and nobody told me when I was here last time. I only met up with the Harvesters six months ago and we just received more information about them over the last two months." 

Liz shook her head. "Well, I'm not too surprised that you didn't know the last time you were here. It's not something people want to talk about, especially when they become the last survivors of their own world." 

"Huh?"

Liz let off a tired and sad sigh as she explained. "That's how things are on Delta 6. Nearly every day, we take in a few stragglers who had managed to escape the Harvesters. The problem is, they don't have a planet to return to. The Harvesters usually take their entire populations and leave nothing, but barren wastelands. Patch and I... we're all that's left of our own world." 

"I'm sorry... I didn't know." 

The station leader nodded. "Yeah, well now you know why things are like Hell on Delta 6. We don't have nearly enough food and supplies for _HALF_ the people here, let alone for any new people that come to us. So the basic rule is eat or be eaten. Only the strong survives here, but then... you know about that already." 

Slade nodded as he remembered his last visit to Delta 6. It had been pretty rough and he had almost resorted to transforming into his Tekkaman form. "I'm sorry that it's like that, Liz, but it doesn't have to be this way." 

"I don't see any way for things to get better. We're barely holding together as it is. The fights and duels in the arena are the only things that keep us going." 

"We can help you." 

"How?" 

"Well... first of all, we can get a lot of this station's systems repaired and running. When I was here last time, I noticed that this place was in a terrible state and I can only assume that it's gotten worse." 

"That goes without saying." Liz agreed. "Nearly forty percent of the Mission is either on its last legs or unusable. The generators are barely producing enough power to sustain life support and most of the people here have to live in the dark. Water, food, and other essentials won't last for much longer. Medicinal supplies are basically nonexistent. We're barely hanging on as it is. And I wont even get started with this stations defense systems. If the Harvesters find us, then it would be all over." 

"We can help you with some of that. The Nirvana has a very good team of engineers and we can get more of your systems back online. Maybe we can get a water recycling and purifier system installed to solve your water problems." 

"How about medical supplies and food?" 

"Well... that's a little harder since we're getting low on those things ourselves. I'm pretty sure that our doctor would be willing to treat those who are sick and injured. As for food, well... we're starting to run out of normal food." 

"Excuse me? Normal food?" 

Slade scratched the back of his head. "Well... we've got enough Tarak nutrient pills to sustain more than a thousand men for five years. The problem is that just about everyone on the Nirvana don't like those things. They like to have their four basic food groups. _I guess I'm partially to blame for the food shortage. Damn my Tekkaman powers sure use up a lot of food energy. It looks like Im going to have to go back to those pills for the rest of the trip._ We were hoping to restock our supplies, but I guess that's out of the question." 

"Maybe not." Liz interjected. "What kind of food are these pills?" 

"Uh... well, they're not exactly gourmet. They taste terrible, but they can provide enough energy for three hundred hours of work per serving. The men of Tarak seem to be healthy living on those things." 

"I want them." 

"Huh? Why would want those awful things?" 

The attractive leader replied. "They may seem terrible to you, but they would be lifesavers to everyone on this station. Think of it. Enough food to feed a thousand people for five years! Regardless of the taste, they would ensure that no one would go hungry until we got back on our feet! Considering that we only have enough food left to feed three hundred people for a few months, those pills would be the best way for everyone to survive!" 

"You sure... changed a lot since I last saw you, Liz." 

She sighed while giving Slade a whimsical look. "I guess when I became the unofficial leader of this Mission, I kind of began feeling the pain of everyone else. Maybe giving everyone three square meals a day might ease the tension. So is it a deal? We will trade a portion of our rations for... half of your supply of pills." 

"I'll have speak to the captain on that, but I think that she might agree to it." Slade looked away to gaze upon the crowds of people milling about. 

Liz nodded. "That's good. Now, let's start talking about medical supplies and..." She then noticed that Slade was not paying attention and his expression had turned darker. "Slade? What's wrong?" 

Slade let off an ominous growl as he got up and walked toward a table that was in a far corner. He just spotted an old friend.' 

---------- 

Rabat had just taken a slug of the whiskey in his mug, when he noticed that someone was approaching his table. His eyes widened as he got a good look at who was approaching and... 

"_PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.... ACK!_" 

Immediately after his spit-take, he got to his feet and went for his sidearm. He had heard that a large vessel had docked with the station, but he had not expected it to be the Nirvana. 

However, as fast on the draw as he was, Slade was faster... 

"You little punk! I'll... arrrrrrrrggggggghhhh!"

Rabat's right arm and wrist were immediately twisted as Slade shot out his left arm and grabbed hold of his adversary's limb. The pressure caused the trader to lose his grip on his blaster pistol, which fell from his fingers. The Tekkaman deftly caught the pistol in his other hand and casually crushed it like aluminum foil. Tossing the now useless weapon over his shoulder, Slade then struck Rabat's solar plexus with a quick palm strike with his right hand, causing Rabat to double over. Then with a simple Judo throw, he twisted and slammed the larger and heavier man to the floor. Keeping his grip on Rabat's right arm and continuing to twist, Slade then positioned his left foot across Rabat's throat. With one simple twist of his foot, Slade was in position to end the traitor's life by snapping his neck. 

By this time, everyone in the bar stopped whatever they were doing and turned their attention toward the source of the commotion. 

"_ERK! ARRGGGH! GURK!_" 

Slade glared down at the man in which he despised and gave him a smile that was not at all friendly. "Well, well, well. I didn't imagine I'd meet up with you here at Delta 6, Sleaze Bucket. What's the matter? The Harvesters aren't paying as well as they used to?" 

This immediately got Liz and a few other people's attention as the leader of the station began running up to them. "Slade? What's going on?" 

Slade had made no indication of hearing her, as he continued to address the man, no the slime ball, he had pinned down. "So how is my favorite _TRAITOR_ to the human race?" 

Rabat tried to struggle, but Slade simply increased the pressure with his foot and twisted the renegade's arm a bit more. "I'd stop if I were you, Rabat. I can either rip out your arm to use to scratch my back, or I can use my foot to snap your neck like a twig. Your choice." 

After hearing this, Rabat immediately stopped and settled for glaring at Slade with the utmost hatred. He still couldn't say anything since Slade's foot was only allowing enough air for him to breathe and was pressing up against his vocal cords. 

The cosmic warrior paid his expression no heed as he addressed Liz. "What's this worthless piece of garbage doing here?" 

"You know Rabat?" 

"All too well. This miserable excuse for a human being should be dumped out with the rest of the garbage. No, on second thought, that would be insulting to the garbage to call _HIM_ garbage." 

"I don't understand. Rabat may be a scoundrel and a cheat but why are you...?" 

"Let's just say that he's got a _LOT_ to answer for." Slade interrupted as he glared back down at Rabat. "I don't have time for us to catch up on old times, so have a nice nap!" He instantly moved his foot from the con man's neck, bent down while pulling Rabat up a little and belted him in the face. 

**_WOP! _**

Rabat dropped like a sack of cement and was immediately unconscious. 

"I still don't..." 

Slade held up his hand, stopping Liz's inquiry as he took out his communicator and contacted the Nirvana. 

---------- 

The Bridge... 

"What? Rabat is on the station?" Magno said in surprise. 

Slade nodded as he replied. "Yeah, and if he's here, then that means that the Harvesters can't be far behind." 

The pirate captain shuddered as she realized that the situation had just taken a turn for the worst. 

---------- 

A few minutes and one abridged explanation later... 

"I... don't believe it." Liz whispered after Rabat was taken away to a holding cell. "He sold us all out to the Harvesters?!" 

"Believe it." Slade said quietly as he stood with the Buzom and the others. "I've got more than enough proof from the people of Melanos and from one of Rabat's data modules. If you ask the people of this station, then I'm willing to bet that a lot of them will confirm that Rabat had been on their planets a few days or hours before the Harvesters came. Probably no one had made the connection, so that's why he hasn't been punished for his crimes." 

"I... still can't believe it." 

"Now's not the time for this. We can deal with Rabat later." Buzom said. "We have to get ready for the Harvesters. The Nirvana will cooperate with your people to fight them. Exactly what do you have in terms of weapons and defense?" 

"Not... much. A few firearms and ranged weapons, but they're mostly for personal protection. Our shielding is pretty pathetic and... well, you've all probably seen how much of the station needs to be repaired. The only reason why we've survived for this long was because of Ghaleon." 

"Ghaleon?" Slade asked. 

"Ghaleon Viperson. He came by a few months ago." Liz explained. "He's the last survivor of the planet Vegan, after the Harvesters massacred the entire population for their lungs. He told us everything that we know of the Harvesters. He's got some kind of secret weapon that has kept the enemy at bay so far." 

"Secret weapon? What do you mean?" Slade asked. 

"We don't know and he won't tell us. It's just that every time our long-range scanners pick up any Harvester ships approaching, then he goes off in one of our scouting ships to find them. Usually after thirty minutes to an hour, he comes back and our sensors no longer detect the enemy. We don't how he destroyed them, but in return for his help, we give him some food and his own place on the station." 

Patch then came up to Liz and asked, "Should we call for him now?" 

"Not yet. We haven't picked up any sign of the Harvesters and I still want to question Rabat." 

"I'd like to speak with this Ghaleon person, if you don't mind. Id like to see this... secret weapon of his. It might just help us battle the Harvesters too." Slade said. 

The longhaired woman shrugged. "Be my guest, though you won't get much out of him. He's a loner and prefers his privacy. You can usually find him on the fourth level of the station, D-Block, Section Twenty. Just look for silver hair. He's the only person on the station with that hair color." 

"Right." Slade turned to leave. 

"I want to come with you, Mr. Alien!" Dita called out. 

The Tekkaman shook his head. "Stay with the others. I'm sure that Buzom and the captain would need your help, when and if the Harvesters show up. I'll try to get back as soon as possible." 

BC nodded as she addressed Dita. "We're going to need you to start prepping your Dread along with Jura and Meia." She then turned to Slade. "Stay in contact with us. We might have to use the Tekkadreads." 

"Tekkadreads?" Liz repeated in puzzlement. 

Slade shrugged as he prepared to leave for the fourth level. "You've got your secret weapon, and we've got ours." He then ran down a corridor and disappeared around a corner. 

---------- 

A little while later... 

Slade looked about as he stood in Section Twenty of the station's D-Block on the fourth level. Aside from the various piles of debris and junked components, there was nothing else in the area. There were signs of a person dwelling in this place, such as makeshift cot, a table for eating and several personal effects, but Slade could see no sign of the occupant. His senses were on high alert as he scanned for any sign of the person he was looking for. Then suddenly, his danger sense went off as he spun about and came face to face with... him. 

The Tekkaman could have sworn that the stranger wasn't standing there before. So just how did he just appear from out of nowhere? 

"Ghaleon Viperson, I presume?" He asked as he took an easy but ready stance. 

The tall, silver-haired 16-year-old nodded as he assessed his visitor, then replied. "You know... after seeing you fight Liz today, I had a feeling that you'd come down here looking for me. She probably told you that I had some kind of secret weapon against the Harvesters and you would like to know what it is, right?" 

"That's about it." Slade agreed. 

"Well, I don't just tell my secrets to anybody." Ghaleon stated. 

"So how about telling them to me?" Slade suggested with a smile. "I think we might be able to help each other out against the Harvesters." 

The Vegan snorted. "You don't have anything that I'd want and I doubt you could help me against those alien bastards. You have no idea of the kind of power I've got." 

"Then why don't you show me what you've got and let me be the judge?" The Nivana's Tekkaman went into a new stance. "How about a quick little match?" 

Ghaleon gazed upon Slade for a long while then smiled a bit as he too went into a stance. "Why not? I could use a light workout." 

"I promise you, this ain't going to be a light workout. Whenever you're ready." 

The Vegan began the match with a fast high-punch with a roundhouse kick combination. Slade avoid the first strike and blocked the second with an arm. He then retaliated with a short but fast rabbit punch to the throat, then followed through with a reverse snap kick to the chest. Ghaleon blocked both of the moves, then reacted with surprising speed by grabbing hold of the front of Slade's jacket and throwing him over his shoulder. However, Slade reversed the throw in midair and tossed Ghaleon some fifteen feet away. The silver-haired fighter twisted and landed easily on his feet, facing off against his opponent. 

"Not bad. Usually the people I fight don't last beyond the first thirty seconds." 

"You're not bad yourself." Slade admitted. "You've got some talent." 

"I've got a _LOT_ more than that." Ghaleon assured as he suddenly grabbed a large piece of broken equipment and hurled it at Slade with one hand. Since there were no rules stated in this match, the Vegan felt that anything goes. 

This suited the former practitioner of the Anything Goes Martial Arts as he casually caught the projectile with one hand, considered it for a moment, then tossed it over his shoulder. The two hundred-pound computer console made a loud clang as it hit the floor, leaving a considerable depression in the metal. 

"You've definitely been taking your vitamins." Slade remarked. 

Ghaleon was bit put off at how easily his adversary caught the projectile and began to rethink his strategy. Slade was a lot stronger than he had anticipated, and Ghaleon came to realize that those first attacks were merely probing maneuvers. It was time to up the ante. 

The former space patrolman leapt high into a jump kick, which Slade dodged, and then he swung about with an elbow to Slade's face. This time, he put more force into the blow, which Slade blocked with own arm. Slade winced a bit as he felt the impact, which was harder than the last time. Apparently, Ghaleon was a lot stronger than a normal person was. Then, the silver-haired fighter shot out with his other fist, followed by another kick. Slade managed to twist to avoid the punch, but was tagged in the abdomen by the kick. The force of the hit actually made the Tekkaman backpedal a bit, but he immediately fought back with a spinning backfist.

_**THWACK! **_

The back of Slade's hand made contact with Viperson's face, causing him to retreat several steps, giving the both of them some more fighting room. The Vegan held a hand to his nose and wiped away a small trickle of blood. Looking down at the crimson on his fingertips, he commented to Slade. "Damn! Been a long time since I got hit that hard." 

Slade rubbed his slightly sore abdominal muscles. "It's been a while since I got kicked like that. You wouldn't happen to be part-mule would you?" 

"No, though I wouldn't exactly call myself completely... human." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"That's for me to know and you to find out." 

Ghaleon decided that it was time to put all of their cards on that table. This was no ordinary person he was facing. Slade wasn't an amateur when it came to fighting. He was strong enough to actually hurt him and Ghaleon suspected that Slade wasn't using his full strength yet. Then again, neither was he. For the first time, Ghaleon was actually being challenged and he wanted to see just what Slade could do. Deep within his very being, he began to feel that same sensation of familiarity that he had felt before. 

"Ready for some more?" Slade asked as he resumed his stance. He too also felt a kind of connection with Viperson. 

Slade's opponent nodded as they went at it again, exchanging punches and kicks with increasing force and speed. For a solid ten minutes, neither one gave the other a chance to land any hits. They began pushing themselves even harder as they continued to battle. Finally, the two came to stalemate as both locked hands and began pushing against each other. Both fighters strained to overpower his opponent, exerting nearly full strength. 

"Give... up?" Ghaleon strained. 

"Just... getting... started!" Slade retorted as he applied more pressure. However, his eyes widened as he saw something appear on Viperson's forehead. It was a dot in the shape of a Tekkacrystal! 

Slade's adversary also became surprised to see a Tekkacrystal emblem appear on Slade's forehead. Both fighters immediately released each other's grip and stepped back. For another long period of silence, the two gazed at each other. Finally, Slade broke the ice by making his Tekkacrystal appear and showed it to Ghaleon. 

The last survivor of Vegan was speechless as he stared at the emerald object. Then, he nodded to Slade's questioning expression and held out his right hand, making his crystal appear. Unlike Slade's, Ghaleon's was colored silver-white and was shaped like a rounded disc with four arms sticking out like the points of a compass. 

"Who are you?" Slade asked in a firm tone. 

"I am Ghaleon Viperson, formally of the Vegan Galactic Defense Fleet. I am also... Tekkaman Phantom." 

At that moment, the alarms began blaring as the station began to shudder. Immediately, Slade's communicator beeped. 

---------- 

"Slade! The enemy is attacking the station and they've begun sending in some kind of plasma drones that are immune to beam weapons!" Buzom said as she and the others began using the antique projectile weapons that Barnette had brought with her. 

"How did they get past the station and the Nirvana's long-range sensors?" Slade asked. 

"I'm not certain, but it looks like they've got some kind of jamming field that hid them from detection. I've already sent out Dita and Xian Pu to their fighters to help assist Meia and the others, while we're getting the civilians to safety. Did you find that secret weapon?" 

Slade glanced at Ghaleon, then shrugged before replying. "Yeah, I found it... er, him, I mean, I found the weapon." 

"Well, we can use all the help we can get. They're going to need you outside now!" 

"Roger that." 

---------- 

After signing off, Slade turned back to Ghaleon. "Well, it looks like the Harvesters just got the drop on us and we've got to fight them. Now I'm not going to force you to help us..." 

"You don't have to." Ghaleon said, cutting him off. "After what those bastards did to my home planet, you couldn't hold me back with a million ships. I've got the power to make them pay and I'm not going to let them do to this station what they did to Vegan. Just remember that you still owe me a match after this is over." 

Slade nodded. For now, they would be fighting on the same side as they both raised their crystals aloft and shouted out simultaneously... 

"TEKSETTER!" 

---------- 

"Mr. Alien, where are you?" Dita cried out as her Dread was being chased by several of the new Cube Fighters. Meia had asked Bart if he could use the Nirvana's guns to take out the enemy, but the navigator protested that the enemy was too close to Delta 6. Even if he did manage to miss the Dreads and Vanguards, the station would get caught in the crossfire. 

Just then, Dita let off a cry of joy as she sighted a familiar flash of emerald light come forth from the station. However, no one was prepared to see a second flash of light follow Slade's. For the first time, others witnessed the transformation of another Tekkaman. 

---------- 

Both Tekkaman were stripped of their clothes and bathed in blinding light. Unlike Slade's transformation, Ghaleon had both arms spread out with his feet together, forming a cross. Sections of emerald armor with red diamond designs, along with black and gray highlights. His head was encased in a helmet with v-shaped protrusions and a large, crimson diamond pattern on the forehead. His long, silver hair flowed behind the helmet. His shoulders were covered with large epaulets that were wider than Slade's. The rest of his armor became angular and pointed with several crystal spheres on his chest, abdominal and hip armor. When the metamorphosis was completed itself, Ghaleon took a fighting stance and shouted out for all to hear. 

"I AM TEKKAMAN PHANTOM!" (1) 

"Wow! It's another Mr. Alien!" Dita cried out. 

---------- 

Rabat groaned as he regained consciousness and found himself in one of the holding cells of the station. He winced as he felt a throbbing pain at the front of his face. Slade certainly didn't pull any punches. (Unknown to him, Slade did pull his punch, since at full force, Rabat's head would have been smashed open like a rotten melon). The walls shuddered and echoing noises were heard from every direction. 

_The station must be under attack. They must not know that I'm still here._ Rabat had originally come to the station in search of the 'secret weapon' that had been preventing the Harvesters from approaching Delta 6. He figured that once he got a hold of it, he could either use it for his own purposes or sell it to the highest bidder. At the very least, he could gain some very valuable information that he could sell to his best customers, the Harvesters. 

The trader looked at the energized bars of his cell and noted that they were of the same type used on the Nirvana. As luck would have it, the guards were not present and they hadn't bothered to search their prisoner for any hidden weapons or devices. Taking off the heel of his right boot, he used the device hidden within to deactivate the cell bars. He then used another device to signal for his primate companion Utan, who happened to be lurking about nearby. 

---------- 

"Fall back!" Buzom cried out as she fired off several rounds from the automatic shotgun in her hands. 

Early on, she and the other girls had discovered that beam weapons were useless against the floating green blobs, which the Cube Fighters had inserted into the station. They had some kind of prismatic effect that caused light to be refracted. However, physical attacks worked against the things, and Barnette's collection of old handguns, rifles and machine guns became the perfect tools against them. There were only two problems. They could only hold them off as long as they had ammunition and the plasma drones had the advantage in sheer numbers. 

Gascogne and Parfat were in charge of leading the station's civilians to a safe area while BC, Jura and Barnette laid down covering fire. Liz, who was armed with flame-thrower, soon joined the fray. Meanwhile, Dita, Ukyo and Xian Pu were fighting the Cube Fighters out in space. Recently, Ukyo had signed on as a member of the Warrior Squadron and was certified as a Vanguard pilot. 

----------

After obtaining a gun from one of the guards, Rabat and Utan soon found themselves on a balcony overlooking the spot where BC and the others were fighting it out with the plasma drones. The trader had to give those women credit. Here they were, risking their lives for people they don't even know and would sooner rob them blind. As he continued to watch, that little used part of his character began to make itself known, as in his conscience. Soon, he found himself in a bit of a moral dilemma. 

On one hand, he could simply escape to his ship as he did before with the Nirvana. He was pretty certain that the Cube Fighters would not try to stop him from leaving the scene, as Rabat usually did with every planet he had betrayed. He had left the pirates to their fate back at that gas giant and hadn't thought about them again until now. After all, he was an informant for the Earth, and it certainly wouldn't be good for his health if he were to help those who stood against the Harvesters. This was how he survived and so far, it had been very lucrative, except for that time when he met Slade. 

Thinking about the Tekkaman made Rabat furious, and he had been longing to pay that little punk back for every injury, insult and humiliation he had caused to him. The problem was that Slade was definitely no pushover, with or without his armor. Attacking him head-on was akin to suicide. The con man had to think of other ways to get payback for all he had suffered from the cosmic warrior. He had been biding his time and gathering as much information about Slade as he could, so that he could report it to the Harvesters and let them exact his revenge for him. 

Then again, what would happen if the Harvesters defeated Slade? That would leave the rest of the human colonies wide open and the Harvesters would have no one else to stand against them. They would be able to harvest at will. And once they were finished, then what? Would that mean that Rabat's services, as an informant would be over? And what would become of him then? The con man began to think about the possibility that the Harvesters would turn on him once they had taken all that they could from the other human colony worlds. The way that they were desperate for human organs was obvious and Rabat would be no more than spare parts to them, once his usefulness ended. 

It was at that moment, that Rabat decided that in this situation, it would be in his best interests to aid the pirates. Since the Cube Fighters had launched mindless plasma drones, it was unlikely that they would be able to determine between ally and foe. Therefore, for his own survival and perhaps score some more points with Liz, he'd fight with the Mejele pirates. 

As he leapt down to join the battle, that small part of his being known as his conscience began to grow. 

---------- 

Liz was quite surprised to see Rabat out of his cell. What was even more surprising was that he was actually firing against the enemy. She became confused at this sudden turn of events and wondered if what Slade had told her had been wrong. From her long-time relationship with the scoundrel, she had gotten to the point of actually liking him. He was a free spirit like herself, and didn't obey any rules, save for his own. 

Then Slade's words came back to her and she also saw how much hatred and disgust was in his eyes when he had Rabat at his mercy. The Tekkaman had said that he had irrefutable proof to back up his claims. If what he said was true, then Rabat had been responsible for the slaughter of untold millions, including the people of her homeworld. As this was not the time to contemplate her feelings for him, and her sense of justice, she decided to reserve judgement until after the immediate threat had been dealt with. 

---------- 

In space... 

Slade was impressed. Ghaleon certainly knew how to kick _ASS_! For well over twenty minutes, they had racked up a considerable kill ratio as the Harvesters had to contend with not one, but two living weapons. 

With the appearance of the two Tekkamen, the Cube Fighters began concentrating their attacks on them, thereby taking off the pressure on the Dreads, Vanguards and the Mission. However, that only meant that Slade and Phantom had more targets to destroy. Harvester fighters fell by the dozens as the two space warriors ripped through their ranks and reduced them to floating debris. 

Unlike Slade, Ghaleon was armed with a weapon called a Tek Sword. Unlike Slade's Tekkalance, the Tek Sword was shorter and only had one, double-edged blade. However, Tekkaman Phantom wielded the weapon with lethal precision. His opponents were sliced apart like paper in a high-speed shredder. His armor was also armed with shoulder-mounted guns and laser cannons in the wrists, making him as deadly at long range as well as close-quarters. 

However, he was about to show the reason why he was called Tekkaman Phantom. 

Slade decided to take out more of his foes by shifting to his Tekka-Battle Mode. In an instant, his armor became more dynamic as D-Boy became a human comet. More Cube Fighters were annihilated as he sped through their formations. After making several passes, he shifted back into his normal configuration and hovered near where Phantom had just polished off a trio of fighters. 

Ghaleon nodded to his comrade. "Not bad, Slade. Now check this out!" 

The gem-like blisters on his armor began pulsating with light, which enveloped the Tekkaman in a nimbus of brightness. Then suddenly, he vanished from sight, leaving no trace for Slade to see. 

_Huh? Where did he go?_

As if in answer to his unspoken question, several Cube Fighters that began approaching him suddenly split into halves and quarters, as if some invisible knife had cut through them. Slade began tracking the path of destruction as some unseen enemy sliced more of the enemy apart. 

_I don't get it. I don't see what's destroying the Cubes and... wait a second! I get it now! Tekkaman Phantom! Viperson's armor must have some kind of stealth ability! No wonder the Harvesters were never able to determine the secret weapon of Delta 6! He uses that power to ambush them!_

After obliterating a large number of the enemy and creating more fighting room, Phantom reappeared beside Slade. 

"So how was that... Sl-_ERK!_" 

Ghaleon began to stiffen up as his body started convulsing. 

"Phantom? What's wrong?" 

Tekkaman Phantom didn't answer as his body and brain felt as if they were on fire. He held his head between his hands as the pain continued. 

_Oh no!_ Ghaleon thought. _My... time limit is almost up!_

"Phantom! What is it?" 

Ghaleon shuddered as he began heading back to the station. "I... I... I'm sorry Slade! I have to go! You're... on your own! Forgive me!" 

Without another word, he jetted back to the station and Slade found himself all alone against the Harvester onslaught. 

Well, he was not completely alone as a certain Dread managed to get past the enemy. 

"Mr. Alien! Let's combine!" 

When Tekkadread Dita came onto the scene, it was no contest as it smashed through the enemy ranks and headed toward the station to aid its comrades inside. As for the remaining Cube Fighters, Meia's Dread groups managed to get them far enough away for the Nirvana's self-guiding plasma cannons to take them out. In seconds, the Harvestor threat was put down. 

---------- 

After dealing with the plasma drones and rescuing the inhabitants of the Mission, Slade immediately disengaged from Dita's fighter and went to go look for the other Tekkaman. After reentering the station and transforming back into his human form, D-Boy went back to where Ghaleon's quarters were. It was there that he found Ghaleon, leaning up against the wall and trembling.

"Ghaleon! It's over! We've won!" 

The Tekkaman known as Phantom gave a small nod as he continued to shiver a bit. "I'm... glad to hear it. I'm... sorry about leaving you like that... but I couldn't risk going over my time limit." 

Slade considered his counterpart with a puzzled expression, then asked, "So... do you mind telling me why you suddenly turned tail and ran?" 

Viperson glared up at Slade and it looked as if he was about to start another fight. However, his expression softened as he nodded and stood up straight. "Yeah... I guess you deserve at least that much. The reason I cut the fight short was because... if I had stayed transformed any longer, then the next person you would have been fighting would have been me." 

"Excuse me?" 

Ghaleon took a deep breath and began his explanations. "It all began over a year ago..." 

---------- 

"Now wait a minute. What's all this about?" 

Rabat was quite surprised to see his old flame now pointing a gun at his chest with the laser target sight activated. All around him, several other people began brandishing a wide assortment of projectile and melee weapons as they all glared at him with hateful eyes. The trader had decided to come in for a drink after the battle and perhaps get reacquainted with Liz. However, as soon as he walked in, he was immediately surrounded and with the leader of the station the first to draw her weapon at him. 

It seemed that Rabat's many crimes had finally come back to haunt him. (2) 

---------- 

Meanwhile... 

As Viperson continued to tell the story of how he became a Tekkaman, Slade began to think back to the time in which he had awakened. Ghaleon's story about being enveloped into some strange alien pod made the Nirvana's Tekkaman consider his own long-lost past. 

_Was I in a pod too? Was that what I came out of? Is that what made me into a Tekkaman?_ There were just too many questions racing through his head at the moment, so Slade tuned back to Ghaleon's story. 

"I lost all track of time when that thing engulfed me." Ghaleon said. "The thing... I don't know... healed me. All of my wounds were gone and I felt stronger than I had ever felt before. But there was something... evil about it. I could feel its presence entering my mind, trying to blot out my memories, my life experiences... everything! But I fought it. I fought it with everything that I had... and I won!" 

"You were able to escape this... pod?" Slade asked. 

Ghaleon nodded. "I managed to break out of it, and according to my ship's chronometer, I was in that thing for seventeen days. Even though that pod managed to imprint some new information into my head, I was able to retain all of my memories... and my humanity. Afterwards... that's when I discovered that the pod had given me great power." He showed his crystal to Slade briefly before continuing. "However, the same thing that had given me the powers of a Tekkaman, also came with a price." 

"The time limit?"

"Yeah. For up to thirty minutes, I'm able to use my abilities as Tekkaman Phantom. I'm in complete control. However... after that, I begin to feel the evil that gave me my powers begin to take over. I've managed to extend that limit by a few minutes, but if I don't transform back, I lose control completely and... I become one of _THEM_." 

"The Harvesters?" 

"No. I become like the aliens who had created that pod. I was imprinted with information about the creators of the Tekkaman Power Process. They were called the Radam." 

Slade nodded as he remembered back to the message in Misty's information capsule. Slowly, he was finding more and more pieces to the puzzle. However, there still remained many more questions. For instance, why was he not burdened with a time limit? He had stayed a Tekkaman for extended periods of time. At one point during his travels, he had been a Tekkaman for three days without any instability. (3) 

The two Tekkamen continued to talk to each other. Slade learned that when Ghaleon had finally gotten back to his home planet, the Harvesters had already taken every last man, woman and child and he was the last of the Vegans. Tekkaman Phantom had been waging a one-man war against the Harvesters ever since then. 

---------- 

"Get out!" 

"Hold on a minute Liz. Let's sit down and talk about..." 

"There's nothing to talk about... you filthy traitor!" Liz hissed as she thumbed the safety off her gun. 

Several others with firearms were already cocking back their weapons and were just an instant away from pulling the triggers. 

"What is all this?" Rabat demanded. Sure he had made quite a few people mad the last time he was on this Mission, but not enough to warrant this kind of reception, or so he thought.

Liz continued to glare as she replied. "I had a little talk with the people from the Nirvana and they showed me a few things about you. You're the reason why _MOST_ of us are here! We lost our homes, our friends, _OUR FAMILIES, BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU SOLD US OUT_!" 

"Now hold on a minute, I..." 

"_SHUT UP!_" Liz snapped as she fired a shot that hit the floor just millimeters away from Rabat's right foot. "_I SAW SLADE'S PROOF! WE ALL DID!_ Every planet you visited, the Harvesters came afterward and gutted it! You are nothing but a parasite! A sleaze ball! Give us one good reason _WHY_ we shouldn't shoot you!"

"Hey, I helped you! With great risk to myself I should add!"

"And that's probably the only reason why you're still alive now!" Liz shot back. "I don't know why you decided to turn against the Harvesters, and frankly, I don't give a damn! Probably just to save your own neck. But one good turn doesn't excuse you for all the Hell you put us through! Now you've got exactly two minutes to haul your sorry ass out of here!" 

"Now can't we talk...?" 

"Two minutes." Liz said with a very deadly serious tone. "If you're not off this station in two minutes, then we'll toss your carcass out of the nearest airlock! And if you _EVER_ come back... then we'll kill you on sight!" 

Rabat was to protest more, but when everyone took aim at him, he knew that there was no room for negotiation. With a scowl, he turned and ran out of the bar toward the space dock. Along the way, he contacted Utan to follow him. Within two minutes, his ship came out of the docking bay and headed out into the star-studded void. 

---------- 

A few days later... 

The Nirvana pulled away from Delta 6, after taking on some new supplies and making several repairs to the station, which included many of the defense and communication arrays to better protect it from future Harvester attacks. As the pirate vessel got underway, standing on one of the observation decks and looking back at the station was Slade. Meia and BC both came up to him and joined him. 

"So do you think they'll be all right?" The Dread leader asked. 

"Yeah, they'll be fine." Slade replied. "After all, they've got a Tekkaman to protect them." 

"Are you sure he wants to stay on that Mission?" BC asked. "He could have come along with us. We could use another Tekkaman." 

"No." Slade shook his head. "Ghaleon told me that he's found a new place to belong on Delta 6 after losing his home world to the Harvesters. He feels a sense of purpose in defending those people and he assured me that they'll be fine. Besides, the Nirvana barely has enough to feed one Tekkaman, let alone two. However, he told me that if we ever need help, then just call him. The new tachyon transmitter/receiver Parfat installed should allow them to receive and transmit signals across the entire galaxy." 

"I suppose they'll be all right." Meia said, then frowned as she realized something. "I'm only sorry that louse Rabat got off so easily after all of this." 

"And who said he did?" Slade pointed out with a bit of a smirk. 

"What do you mean?" Buzom asked. 

Slade shrugged. "I told Rabat that the next time we met, I would send him to Hell, and I meant it. However, after hearing about how he helped fight against the Harvesters, I decided that underneath all that trash, there _MIGHT_ be something worth salvaging. So I decided that _LIVING_ in Hell would just as good as sending him to Hell." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Rabat is going to get a heaping dose of his own medicine. He's going to feel what it's like to be hunted and denied the right to even exist. With the new tachyon transmitter, Delta 6 is going to broadcast all of Rabat's crimes to every human world in the galaxy. He won't be able to trade nor land on any planet. And if he can't land on a planet, he can't get any information about it to send back to his Harvester masters. Furthermore, he won't be able to resupply his ship. Let's see how long it will be, before the Harvesters decide that he's no longer useful for anything but body parts." 

Both women became a bit disturbed at how harsh Slade was; though they had to admit that Rabat had it coming. 

The former Saotome's expression softened as he continued. "It's not about revenge, if that's what you're thinking. Revenge usually leaves you with a feeling of emptiness. Trust me, I know. This is about justice. All those people that Rabat sold out deserve that much. I'll make certain of that." 

Meia and Buzom were about to say something else, but they decided that nothing more needed to be said as they watched Delta 6 become a distant dot. 

To be continued... 

Author's notes 

Wow! That was a _LONG_ chapter, but I'm finally done. In the next chapter, I'll be focusing on two of the side cast, namely Barnette and Duero in a bit of a filler episode. As for Tekkaman Phantom, he'll reappear eventually, plus a few more new characters as well. See you then! 

  


  1. Many thanks to Shadowhawk for the use of one of his characters. 
  2. I always said that Rabat got off _WAY_ too easy in the original Vandread series, (first and second) so this time, he's going to be eating a _LOT_ of crow. 
  3. Just remember that Slade's process had been mostly completed, but it had been dragged out over a period of five centuries, plus the fact that it had been interfered with the waters of Jusenkyo. You can consider Slade at around 90% complete minus the Radam mind-parasite. For Ghaleon, since he emerged early from the process, he's around 70% complete, just like the original Tekkaman Blade series. He's got no mind-parasite, but he can go insane if he goes too far beyond the 30-minute time limit. As for Saber, Axe, Lance and Rapier, well we'll get more into that later. 


	6. Chapter 5, Part 1: Survival of the Fitte...

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE** ____

Disclaimer: Well, what do you expect from me? You already know that Ranma 1/2, Vandread and Tekkaman Blade belong to their own creators, so don't bother me with those details. 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 5**

**Part 1**

**Survival of the Fittest**

"Will you hurry up?" Barnette griped as she sat on the examination table in her underwear. Beside her, Duero McFile, the head physician (and the only physician) on the Nirvana, was calmly giving the Dread pilot her regular checkup. 

Jura's friend was in a somewhat more irritable mood than usual, especially when she was around men. Though she had more or less buried the hatchet with Slade and had grown to tolerate the presence of the opposite gender, she still held true to her beliefs that men were the enemy, and that the situation aboard the Nirvana was only a temporary, but necessary measure. There was also the fact that Jura seemed to be spending more and more time with her attempts at having a baby with a man's seed, particularly using Slade's seed. As a result, Barnette had been feeling a bit neglected. 

However, with the way things were on the Nirvana, the Dread pilot had no choice but to accept the presence of men. Bart was needed to guide the ship and fire the weaponry. Slade was an essential part of the ship's defense, both as commander of the Vanguard squadron and as part of the Tekkadreads. As for Duero, well... it was better than going back to Paiway's not-so-tender-loving care. 

"I'm almost done." The good doctor said as he took out his stethoscope, put the listening pieces in his ears, and placed the front probe on Barnette's chest, just above her left breast. The cold metal made her shiver a bit, but what unnerved her even more was that his hand was close... very close to her breast. She swallowed slightly as he instructed her to take several deep breaths while he moved the probe about. 

"W-What are you doing?" 

Duero looked up with a slightly puzzled expression and replied, "I'm just examining your heart and breathing rates, that's all." 

The Dread pilot gestured with her head at a machine that was nearby. "Why don't you use one of those things... what did you call it, the Pulse Meter? You used it the last time I was here." 

Duero's mouth turned up in a slight smile as he said, "Well, yes I could have used it, but I saw no reason to waste power on some tests that I can perform by hand. Technology is a wonderful thing and it has greatly aided in the medical field, but I find that relying on it too much can sometimes hamper one's work. A good doctor must be able to perform his duties, regardless of what tools he has available or not. At times, I prefer a more hands-on approach."

"Ridiculous!" Barnette scoffed. "Why bother having technology if you don't use it?" 

"I never said that I was adverse to technology." He corrected as he finished counting Barnette's pulse and breathing rate, then inputted the data on his console. "I will use it when I need it, but I would also like to keep my options open. I was taught to rely on my own personal skills, first and foremost. Technology can break down and become unreliable, so I always have something to fall back on. At times, those skills can mean the difference between life and death." 

The Mejele woman snorted a bit at the doctor's naiveté. "Hmpf! No wonder Tarak is so far behind Mejele." 

"Excuse me?" 

The Dread pilot shrugged her shoulders. "No offense, but if that's the way things are done on Tarak, then it's a miracle that the men got out into space. Look at us. We women of Mejele have the best that technology has to offer. And we're always improving on it. We have the better hospitals, the better food centers, the better living arrangements, the better spacecraft, and let's face it, the better weapons. In just about all things, our way of life is much better than that dreary existence on Tarak. I don't know how you could have even _LIVED_ eating those awful pills!" 

"Well, I suppose that's your opinion." Duero said simply. As a doctor, he kept an unbiased attitude when dealing with patients. He wasn't much when it came to politics and experience had proven that keeping an open mind was the best way to handle things. He found it somewhat odd to hear Barnette praise the wonders of technology, considering her hobby in collecting antique firearms and her interest in close-quarters combat, much like the Tarak Military's way of thinking. However, he kept his peace. 

"It's not just my opinion. It's just a fact. And that's why women are always going to be better!" Barnette said smugly as she began putting her clothes back on. "Are you done now?" 

The physician nodded as he finished entering the final data on Barnette's examination. As the short-tempered girl left the Sick Bay, he couldn't help but admire the smooth, graceful lines of her figure and how they contrasted with her personality. Women were like bundles of extremes. At times they could be so gentle and kind, and yet at a moment's notice, they turned into fierce, and uncontrollable beings, sometimes for reasons that didn't make any sense at all, (like that mutiny over Dita shedding tears). They certainly weren't like the innards-sucking beasts that the Tarak government made them out to be in propaganda films, but women weren't easy to explain either. They were living mysteries and that was one of the reasons why Duero had become a doctor. 

Unlike the crude, yet straightforward, all-male culture that McFile had grown up in, women had nuances and quirks in their society that endlessly fascinated the healer. When he had first encountered the so-called 'enemy,' he had immediately taken the opportunity for a close examination of females. Ironically, it was Barnette who had fascinated him the most at the time. 

----------

Flashback... 

"There... that should do it." Duero said as he finished bandaging up Barnette's arm, then gazed at her form for a very long time. 

"What? What is it? Do you find something interesting about me?" Barnette said in annoyance. 

"Yes... I do find something interesting." Duero replied as he mentally catalogued all the structural similarities and differences of her appearance and that of the other four women he had treated. _Fascinating. Except for some... variances in the chest and abdominal regions, they're generally human... like men._

"Well don't expect any thanks!" The Dread pilot snapped back. 

"I don't... I suppose I'll leave now." 

---------- 

End of Flashback... 

Since that time and the creation of the Nirvana, Duero found himself in a unique position. As the only skilled medical and surgical expert on board, he was given the opportunity of gaining valuable information about women and their society. At present, he had examined nearly all of Magno's crew and had seen more than his fair share of... (ahem), feminine attributes. The process in which they reproduced, the birth of Ezra's baby and what he had learned from Slade and Misty about the ancient practices of reproduction between the genders, only fueled his desire to know more about the opposite sex. 

Of course, there were some females on board the ship, who were just as open-minded as he was. He had struck up a friendly relationship with the head engineer Parfat, whose way of considering machines as living persons always intrigued him. Magno, Gascogne and Buzom were always willing to listen to his opinions and suggestions, but he suspected that the First Officer was hiding something. BC had always refused to be examined and she always seemed to be avoiding the other women when not on duty. 

However, there were still those that resented his presence and that of the other men on board the pirate vessel, with Barnette at the head. Her latest remarks clearly stated her irritation over the entire affair of men and women working together. Duero sighed and decided that it was unproductive to dwell over such matters. He then glanced at his console's chronometer and noted that it was the end of his shift. Signaling for Paiway to take over the Sick Bay for the next three hours, he logged off on his console and went to see Slade. 

---------- 

"Hey Doc. Right on time." Slade nodded to the physician as he entered his quarters. 

Duero nodded back to him. "I wouldn't miss these lessons for anything. So what are we going to study on this time?"

The Tekkaman nodded as he went to his backpack and took out several old manuals and scrolls, which he had picked up during his travels. The manuscripts depicted crude, but accurate diagrams of the human body and indicated various areas of anatomy. 

"Well, I was thinking along the lines of the extremities and some anesthetic and paralysis techniques. There will be times in which you won't have any sedatives and some of these points can also be used in terms of defense. First, let me see how far along are you with... you know?" 

The good doctor nodded, as he sat down in a cross-legged position then held out his hands as if he were holding a bowl. Closing his eyes, he began focusing on his inner energies. A minute later, a tiny, white dot of light that was the size of a pea began to appear in the space between his hands. 

Slade nodded at McFile's accomplishment. It had only been two weeks since he had begun training, and Duero was already beginning to tap into his ki. A minute later, Duero let the sphere of energy fade away as he looked up at his sensei. 

"Not bad Doc. Not bad at all. Okay, I'm going to show you how to use your ki to help you find these pressure points and afterwards... I'll show you the wonders of soufflés." 

Duero chuckled a bit. In addition to shiatsu and ki manipulation, as well as a few sessions concerning hand-to-hand combat, Slade had decided to give the doctor a crash course in cooking. 

---------- 

The bridge of the Nirvana... 

"Are you certain that it's an old Colony frequency?" BC asked as Amarone reported that she had just picked up a distress signal. 

The dark-skinned girl nodded. "I'm positive. It matches up with the one that we use. It's coming from a planet that's about half a parsec from our present course. I'm getting a lot of interference but it looks like they're under attack... by the Harvesters." 

Magno considered her options. Although she and her crew were pirates, they couldn't just ignore a plea for help, especially when the enemy to all of humanity was involved. Even though they had taken on supplies and made a new ally with the people of Delta 6, it wouldn't hurt to make even more alliances with other human colonies, in preparation for the inevitable war with the Harvesters. 

After thinking about it for a few minutes, Magno decided that on the most _HUMANE_ decision. 

"Set a course for that planet." 

---------- 

On the surface of a very hostile world, Saber smiled as he stood beside an elaborate transmitter tower. His plan was working. After weeks of recovering from his last battle with Slade, he was all set to have his revenge. The bait had been taken and soon, he would discover the secret to Slade's transformation to Tekkaman Blastor. Once he had learned it, he would destroy the White Tekkaman and the Nirvana, and then return to Earth to annihilate the pompous leaders who had abused then abandoned him. There was only room in this universe for one supreme Tekkaman, and Saber was determined that it would be him. 

---------- 

Later... 

Slade and Duero nodded to the captain as they entered the bridge. Magno had asked them to join them as the Nirvana had achieved orbit around a planet. The doctor became reminded of Tarak as he saw it on the viewscreen. 

"Are you sure that this is the right planet?" Magno asked Amarone as she gazed at the desolate and very unfriendly-looking sphere on the main monitor. 

The world had a nitrogen/oxygen-based atmosphere that could support human and other Terran life forms, but most of its surface had been turned into desert as it made a circular orbit around three suns; a red giant, a white dwarf, and a modest yellow star. There were some oceans, but for the most part, life on that world would have to suffer through extremely hot days and extremely cold nights. There were various numbers of floating masses present in the sector, which had also made it difficult for the Nirvana to maneuver. Many of the meteoroids and chunks of space debris contained some radioactive metals and isotopes. Also, due to the three suns, there were high amounts of solar flare activity, which caused heavy electromagnetic interference. This condition made the ship's sensor and communication systems less than reliable. 

"Yes, Captain." Amarone replied. "The EM interference is making it difficult to pinpoint the distress signal, but it's definitely coming from that planet." 

Magno was more than a little suspicious, as was her First Officer. It wouldn't be the first time that the pirates had been lured into a trap. 

"Is there any sign of the Harvesters?" BC asked. 

Ezra shook her head. "Even though the interference has reduced the range of our sensors, I'm not picking up any signals from any nearby enemy ships. However, I am detecting faint ion trails that do match with Cube Fighters and Seed Ships. They're very recent." 

"Maybe the Harvesters had already finished with their dirty work and left." Slade suggested. 

"Or it could be that they're just waiting to _DO_ their dirty work... with _US_." Magno countered as her suspicions rose. "I don't like this. Sensors and communications are hampered because of all this interference and we can't know for certain if there's anyone down on that planet." 

At that moment, Amarone suddenly picked up a weak communiqué on her console. "Captain! We're being hailed! It's definitely coming from the northern hemisphere. I'll try to clear up the interference..." 

All those present on the bridge listened in as a voice was heard. 

"Help! Please! (crackle) Life-support sys... (pop)... failed. Can't... hold... on! (zzzzt)... Six survivors... (snap)... have escaped... harvest... (bzzzzt)... for the love of humanity!" 

Amarone sadly shook her head as the transmission died. "I couldn't hold it, Captain. However, I've managed to detect some faint life signs. They're human." 

"So, it looks like the Harvesters had been here already." Buzom stated as she turned to the Captain. "If that transmission was from survivors from a Harvester attack, then we can't just leave them there to die. Since they did managed to escape the Harvest, then perhaps they can provide us with some more information about our enemy." 

The ancient crone nodded as she decided that the risk was worth taking. She turned to D-Boy. "Slade?" 

The Tekkaman nodded as he turned to assemble the landing party. It seemed that the Vanguards would be needed again. Especially since the electromagnetic interference would mess up the sensor arrays of the Dreads. Furthermore, the fighters were still unable to make planetary landings from space. 

"I'll be joining the landing party, Captain." Duero announced. This caught Slade's attention just as he was about to leave the bridge. 

"Oh?" Magno responded in surprise. "And why would you want to take part in a potentially dangerous mission?" 

"I am a doctor, Captain. If there are survivors on that planet, then they will need immediate medical attention. Being from Tarak, I am quite familiar with this kind of desert terrain and environment. Furthermore, I am proficient with piloting a Van-Type." 

"You?" Both the Captain and the First Officer said in surprise. 

Duero shrugged. "As a First-Class citizen of Tarak and a member of the military, I have been given training in mecha controls. I am familiar with the inner workings of the standard Van-Type combat frame and..." He briefly glanced to Slade. "I'm certain that Slade can vouch that I am qualified." 

Both women turned to Slade with questioning gazes. 

The Tekkaman gave them a lopsided smile and nodded. During their off-hours, Slade and the physician had been spending time in the Vanguard simulators. He had been quite surprised when Duero came by one time and asked to take part in the training routines with the other candidates for the Warrior Squadron. Surprisingly, he did extemely well. The Tekkaman had been impressed with McFile's proficiency in handling the mecha. "Yes. Duero is certified and he's also proven himself capable in hand-to-hand combat. I was going to have him assigned as a reserve pilot for the Warrior Squadron." He walked back to the doctor and placed a hand on Duero's right shoulder. "Glad to have you on the team, Doc." 

"I'm not so sure that would be a good idea." Buzom said with concern. "You do realize that Duero is our _ONLY_ doctor. We can't afford to lose him and..." 

Duero held up a hand, cutting off the silver-haired woman. "I assure you that I _WILL_ return to the Nirvana to resume my medical duties. At the moment, those Harvest survivors need me and Paiway can handle the Sick Bay in my absence. She _HAS_ gotten better." 

"I will make certain that he returns to the ship unharmed." Slade said with assurance. 

Magno considered the man from Tarak for a long time before finally giving her consent. 

---------- 

The Vanguard hanger... 

"_WHAT?! HE'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE LANDING PARTY?! HE CAN PILOT A VANGUARD?!_" 

Barnette was already hopping mad at being selected to be part of the excursion, due to her previous experience in the first Vanguard mission. (1) Along with Jura and Dita, she was going to be joining the Tekkaman, Duero and Pegas as they prepared to head to the surface. Barnette groaned as she realized that she was going to be stuck with not one, but _TWO_ men! And not just any men. One had enough power to destroy a medium-grade battle cruiser on his own and the other came from the planet of Mejele's most hated enemy. 

At first, Xian Pu, Ukyo and the rest of the Warrior Squadron had protested when Slade told them that they would not be joining him. Since the Dreads had been rendered useless, due to the high electromagnetic interference and the fact that they could not maneuver well in the swarms of meteoroids and space debris, Slade had decided to have the remaining Vanguards set up defensive lines and patrol the area while he went to the surface with the others. There was also the fact that Dita, Jura and Barnette were the only female Vanguard pilots with the experience to operate the mecha on land. Duero was also familiar with moving a Van-Type on land from his academy days. 

Though the facts irritated the members of the Warrior Squadron, they still carried out their orders and prepared to guard the Nirvana until their leader returned. Recently, Parfat had equipped the humanoid machines with new power packs to increase their range. The mecha would be able to sustain extended periods of constant operation as they defend the pirate vessel from any surprise attacks from the Harvesters. 

"Mr. Doctor is coming with us?" Dita asked as she began putting on the new bodysuit that the Register had created for all Vanguard pilots. The outfits were made of a special, impact-absorbent material which molded to their figures. They were colored gray and were extremely lightweight. 

"That's what Slade said." Jura replied as she zipped up the front of her suit, then admired herself in a nearby, full-length mirror. "Hmmm, gray isn't my color, but I _LOVE_ the boots." The suit easily molded to her lush curves like a second skin. 

"Will someone tell me why we _HAVE_ to wear these suits?" Barnette griped as she slipped into her own outfit. 

"They're for your safety." 

All three girls turned to see Duero and Slade walking toward them. Slade was in his usual attire, while Duero was also wearing a bodysuit, but had his trenchcoat over it. In one hand was a large black satchel, in which he carried his medical and survival gear. 

"What do you mean for our safety?" Barnette demanded. 

Duero tapped the material on the chest of his own suit. "These new bodysuits are made of a special material which can lessen the force of impact on your bodies. I had asked Gascogne and Parfat to come up with these suits when several of the Warrior Squadron pilots were injured in battle, due to being jostled about in their mecha after being hit. Restraints in the Van-Types weren't enough. The suits are also good protection against extreme cold, punctures and excessive moisture. Aside from those space suits that Dread Pilots wear, your regular wardrobes were... inappropriate for certain combat situations and did not provide much protection. Furthermore, those space suits were too clumsy to wear for Vanguard operation, which required fine maniupulation control. I had spoken with Slade and he agreed with me and had these new suits made up." 

"Hmpf!" Barnette snorted as she zipped up the front of her own outfit, then glared at Slade. "So how come you're not wearing a suit?" 

"Pegas has a lot more padding than the standard Vanguard and besides, my clothes are actually made of the same material as your suits. It's a very wonderful material that I picked up on a planet that specialized in creating unique fabrics. They're durable, stain resistant, impact-absorbant, repels all dirt and odor-creating molecules, and won't wear out as fast as regular cloth. Parfat used my jacket as a template to create the bodysuits you're wearing now. In any case, I can always transform if we get into a tight situation. So let's get ready." 

Dita eagerly nodded as ran toward her Vanguard, which she had painted blue with little green alien designs on it. Jura blew Slade a kiss before heading off to hers. 

Barnette growled a bit as she turned to her own machine. Before going to it, she glared back at Duero. "It's bad enough that I have to take orders from a man again, so don't get in my way! I'm not going to be babysitting anyone, especially a man. If you get into trouble, then don't expect me to save your butt!" She then stomped off to get into her Vanguard. 

Duero was about to reply to her remark when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Slade giving him a reassuring smile while shaking his head. 

"Don't let her words get to you, Doc. It's just her way of covering up her own insecurities. She may act tough and can be a bit of a pain in the ass, but deep down, she's really a good person. She... just has a really hard time showing it." 

Duero chuckled a bit as he nodded. "I know. That's what I thought too." 

"You do?" 

"Yes. I've often suspected that her abrasive exterior was actually hiding a more... well, now is not the time." 

Slade nodded as they both went to their respective machines. 

---------- 

"I hope he'll be all right." Parfat said nervously as she continued to pace the floor of the engineering section. 

"I'm sure that he'll be fine." One of her assistants said. "After all, there going down to rescue some survivors, that's all." 

However, the girl's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Parfat continued to pace. 

---------- 

"Why can't I come along?" Misty pouted as she and Meia watched the Vanguard dropship and Pegas depart from the Nirvana. Both girls were standing on the observation deck. 

"You're not qualified to pilot a Vanguard." Meia replied, though she was a bit miffed that she was not a part of the mission. Due to her claustrophobia, she could not pilot a Vanguard and because of the EM interference and space debris, the Dreads could not be used. For the first time since becoming part of Magno's crew, Meia had been reduced to being a spectator. 

"That blonde bimbo or that red-head is going to steal my Prince Charming!" Misty complained. 

Meia's eyes narrowed a bit as she thought about Jura and getting to be with Slade more than she was. 

---------- 

As the Vanguards and Pegas broke through the atmosphere and began making their way toward the source of the distress signal, Saber watched his monitor in anticipation. It won't be long now... 

---------- 

Barnette gritted her teeth as she fought the high winds while controlling her fall toward the surface of the planet. With the same umbrella-like devices that they had used before, the mecha made their descent. Jura's friend looked over to the side and noted with irritation that Duero's machine was making a smooth drop with precision. Determined not to be outdone by Duero, Barnette attempted to make her landing a perfect one. However, in her haste and anger, she misjudged the distance between her Vanguard and the ground. One foot of her machine hit an outcropping of rock and this caused her mecha to go tumbling facefirst into the sand. 

Barnette was bounced around a bit in her cockpit before her mecha came to a stop. As she righted her Van-Type to a standing position, she noticed that her body was not at all sore and realized with an irritated sigh, that the new suit she was wearing had cushioned the impact. _Damn! He just **HAD** to be right._

At that moment, Duero's white mecha landed easily beside hers. On the front was the red X emblem of the Tarak Medical Corps. It walked up to Barnette's machine as Duero made contact. 

"Are you all right, Barnette? Do you need any medical assistance? You took a very bad fall there. Did the suit protect you from the impact?" 

Annoyed that he had made a perfect landing, and even showing concern for her, Barnette simply made her machine turn its back to his and began stomping off as the other Vanguards and Pegas approached them. 

Inside his own machine, Duero could only sigh. This was going to be a _LONG_ mission. 

---------- 

On the Nirvana's bridge... 

"Are we still in contact with the landing party?" BC asked. "How are communications?" 

Amarone nodded as she worked her console. "Communications are still a little garbled, but thanks to the new homing beacons on each Vanguard and Pegas, we can still track them and pinpoint their locations at any time." 

"Good." The First Officer then contacted the patrol groups. "Xian Pu, have you encountered any sign of the enemy?" 

Out in space and flying in her own Van-Type, the Amazon pilot shook her head. "My group hasn't reported any visual sightings of the enemy and all this EM interference is making our own sensors unreliable. All this debris floating about is making it hard for us to maneuver. It's a good thing that the Van-Types are smaller than the Dreads. No way Meia and her squadrons could move through this. We'll notify you if we spot anything." 

---------- 

A while later, on the surface of the planet... 

"Well, it looks like this is the place." Slade said as he and his group stood before a large, derelict, man-made structure, which was partially built into the side of a huge mesa. They had been able to track the source of the distress signal to this location. However, there was just one problem. The Vanguards and Pegas were too large to fit through the main entrance. 

"It looks like were going to have to go in on foot." Slade said as he used Pegas' sensors to scan the environment around them. The readouts showed that the air was breathable and the temperature, though it was a scorching 110 degrees Farenheit, was tolerable enough for the team. 

"Why can't we just smash our way in?" Barnette asked impatiently as she wanted to get this rescue mission over with. 

Before Slade could answer, Duero replied for him. "Structural analysis of the interior indicates that such an action would cause it to collapse, killing the survivors. My sensors are picking up some faint, human life signs. This is a _RESCUE_ mission, after all. Slade is correct. We're going to have to disembark and go in by ourselves. I'm also picking up some echoing signatures, indicating that there are some large caverns as well. If there are any survivors, then that's probably where they were hiding to have escaped the Harvest." 

Pegas turned to face Dita and Jura's machines. "You two will remain here and keep a lookout, while Duero, Barnette and myself go in." 

"_HEY! SINCE WHEN DO WE HAVE TO TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU?_" Barnette said in outrage. 

"Since the Captain made me the leader of the Vanguards and all missions of this type. And I didn't even want the job! Now we can stand about and argue until our power cells give out, or we can go down and get those survivors out of here and back to the Nirvana as quickly as possible. Or do you want the deaths of those survivors on your conscience?" 

Barnette barely managed to rein in her anger as she wordlessly opened the hatch of her machine and made her mecha kneel down so she could disembark. She took along an old-style submachine gun from her collection of antique firearms, plus several clips of ammunition. She carried a small survival pack with rations and various other pieces of equipment. 

Duero followed suit and emerged from his Vanguard with his medical kit in hand, filled with all best technology Mejele had to offer. As he prepared to join the others, he made a quick, routine check of all his vital equipment, and became a bit concerned when he saw that their calibrations were slightly off. _Hmmm... they were all working fine on the Nirvana. It could be due to the interference from the frequent solar flare activity. This may be a problem._ When he heard his name being called, he mentally put his concerns on the back burner for the moment and walked over to Slade and barnette. In addiction to the medical kit, he also had a Tarak assault rifle with retractable bayonet, slung over one shoulder. The same weapon was issued to all Tarak soldiers and was standard equipment in the Bangattas. 

Barnette eyed the weapon with slight interest, as she knew that all Tarak firearms were still based on the principal of projectile weaponry. After all, the wound that Duero had bandaged up during that attack on the Ikazuchi had been from a rifle shot penetrating her space suit. She then spoke to the doctor with a slightly sarcastic tone. "Do you know how to use that?" 

Duero shrugged as he replied. "I was considered a fair shot at the academy, though I haven't used one since I came aboard the Nirvana. I may be a bit rusty, but I'll manage." 

Barnette snorted with disdain as she and Duero went to Slade, who was giving some orders to Pegas to remain with Jura and Dita. 

"But why can't we come with you, Mr. Alien?" Dita pouted. 

"Yes, why do we have to stay on boring guard duty?" Jura asked with disappointment.

"I can't risk all of us getting into trouble if this _IS_ a trap." The former Saotome replied. "You'll be our backup if things go wrong. If you don't hear from us in thirty minutes, then come get us. If things get too extreme then return to the Nirvana, and no arguments." 

With those words, he and the others entered through the small opening and began exploring. 

---------- 

Fifteen minutes later... 

"These caverns go on forever!" Barnette complained as she and the two men continued deeper into interior of the mesa. "Are you sure you know where you are going?" 

Duero and Slade were also annoyed as they found themselves wandering about a maze of stalagmites, stalactites and various other rock formations. The further they went into the caverns, the uneasier they had become. The doctor was currently in the lead as he held out a portable scanner to track the life signs of the survivors. However, the further they were from the other members of the Away Team, the weaker their homing beacons became. The caves were full of various ores and crystal formations, which gave off intermittent pulses of electromagnetic waves, thereby further interfering with their equipment. 

_I don't like this. We've been searching for a while now, and we **STILL** haven't found any sign of the survivors._ Slade thought as he followed behind Duero. _It's almost as if we were being led into..._

"There!" The doctor cried out as he pointed to an adjoining cavern. "The life sign readings are strongest in there! I'm definitely picking up human vital signals." 

"How many?" Slade asked. 

"Just one." 

"One? But the message we received said that there were six survivors." Barnette interjected. 

"Well, it could be that the other five may be dead now." Duero said slowly, then added, "Then again, it could be that the others may be somewhere else. This is a big place, you know." 

"Well, at least we'll be able to help one of them now. Come on!" Slade waved for the two of them to follow as he headed off toward the cavern. 

The three ran toward the source of the signal and soon found themselves in a huge space and were facing a vertical wall. Looking up, they saw that someone was standing on a ledge and was gazing down upon them. 

The figure was about as tall as Slade and was wearing a brown jacket, white shirt, dark blue pants and black boots. He had long, dark-green hair and his pale face was angular. However, the most striking of his feature was that his eyes had scarlet irises, which burned like hot coals. His very being seemed to emanate a feeling of... evil. 

"Hello down there." The figure spoke as he grinned at the Nirvana's Tekkaman. "It's been a while since we last met, Slade." 

"Huh? You know who I am?" Slade said in confusion. 

"Indeed. And I should think that you should know me as well." The stranger said as he took out something from his left jacket pocket and hid it behind his back. 

"I don't think we've ever met, though your voice sounds... familiar." Slade then shook his head to clear it. "Listen, we're on a rescue mission here and we're looking for survivors from a Harvester attack. Are you one of them?" 

The stranger snorted in disdain while shaking his head. "Oh, you won't find any survivors here, because there never were any." 

"What?" Barnette exclaimed as she held out her weapon at the ready. 

Duero also unslung his rifle. "What do you mean?" 

The stranger shrugged as he answered with a sneer. "The Harvesters had long since picked this planet clean of its inhabitants. There hasn't been a single human being on this world for months... until today." 

"But we received a transmission from..." Barnette began. 

The stranger interrupted her. "What you received was merely a recording. The last words of a group of people, just before they were killed and their bodies torn apart by the Harvester machines. Quite pathetic, but it served its purpose in luring you here to this world." 

"So this was a trap after all." Duero said with a firm tone as he readied his weapon. 

"Indeed." The man agreed as he continued to gaze solely upon D-Boy. "And now that the one whom I seek is here, I shall be doing a little 'harvesting' of my own, specifically harvesting the secrets of Tekkaman Slade! Of course, after I'm done with you, there won't enough of you or your comrades to sweep under the carpet." 

Slade snorted as he took a defensive stance. "Yeah, you and what army? Just who do you think you are?" 

"Why Slade, I'm surprised that you still don't recognize me. Perhaps, this will jog your memory." 

Barnette, Slade and Duero gasped as they saw a bright red light appear on the stranger's forehead... in the shape of a Tekkacrystal. Then their blood ran cold as he brought out what he had been hiding behind his back and held it aloft. 

"_TEKSETTER!_" 

Saber's Tekkacrystal was different from Slade's as it was colored crimson and had its two side arms folded down when not in use. The arms swung up as the human form of Saber was bathed in scarlet brilliance. Segments of armor appeared and fused to his body, making him appear more menacing. When the transformation completed itself, the evil Tekkaman leapt down while bringing out his lance. 

"_MOVE!_" Slade cried out as he pushed Duero and Barnette off to one side, then swerved to the other. Making a perfectly executed tuck and roll, he avoided Saber's first attack and came to his feet while bringing out his own crystal. 

Saber however, chuckled evilly as he mentally activated a device that was hidden in the cavern walls, which sent out a signal to close the trap. 

---------- 

The Nirvana... 

"Captain! Commander! I'm reading a high-frequency energy pulse being emitted from the planet." Amarone announced. 

"Can you pinpoint its source and where it is being directed?" Buzom asked. 

Before the dark-skinned girl could reply, several dozen meteoroids and other masses of space debris suddenly began moving by themselves. The pirates were totally baffled when the chunks of rock and metals made a kind of netlike pattern, surrounding the planet like a swarm of ants. When they reached certain points in orbit, each mass began emitting lines of light to each other, forming a gigantic energy web, which surrounded the planet. 

"What is that?" Magno demanded. 

Ezra quickly began running scans and had the answer ten seconds later. "It seems to be some kind of elaborate barrier system. Those meteoroids and other chunks of space debris had some kind of energy emitters and thruster units hidden inside of them." 

"Why didn't we detect them?" BC inquired. 

"Because of all the interference from the solar flares and the high background radiation emissions, our sensors couldn't pick them up until after they had activated." 

"Captain! I've lost contact with the Away Team!" Amarone cried out.

"What?!" BC and Magno gasped simultaneously. 

"Those units are sending some kind of energy dampening field to the surface of the planet. All communications and homing beacons to the Vanguards have been completely cut off!" 

"Can we break through the barrier?" Buzom asked. 

Ezra gasped as she read the energy output of Saber's trap. "Oh my! Those energy emitters are putting out enough power to deflect all the firepower of the Mejele Space Force. It's the equal to Tekkadread Jura! And it seems that those emitters are using a kind of regenerating power source. I don't think our guns at full force could break through." 

Magno decided to give it a try as she raised Bart in his Navigation Well. "Bart, see if you can punch a hole in that barrier. Try focusing on one of those meteoroids! Maybe if we take out one, then the rest might collapse." 

"Roger." Bart replied as he engaged the targeting systems and aimed for a chunk of space rock near the northern hemisphere of the planet. The Nirvana let loose with a barrage of particle beams, which looped and arced toward their target. 

However, just before they hit, the meteoroid glowed briefly. The beams were instantly absorbed with no loss in the shield's integrity. Then, to everyone's horror, the emitters on the huge mass suddenly cut loose with a huge beam of energy at ten times the strength of the ones it had absorbed... right back at the Nirvana! 

"_YAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!_" Bart screamed as he just barely managed to move the Nirvana out of the way of the reflected beam. He was breathing heavily for several minutes before he finally calmed down and said. "No good Captain. I can't shoot them down, and they'll throw everything I shoot right back at us... with interest!" 

Magno frowned as she realized that a direct assault was not an option. She could only hope that the landing party was still safe while she and the others attempt to get through. 

---------- 

At the moment, the landing party was anything but safe... 

"Let's get it on!" Slade shouted as he raised his crystal aloft. "_TEKSETT... ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!_" 

Both Duero and Barnette were shocked to see Slade fall to knees in agony as energy surges suddenly ripped into his body. It was like seeing a man continuously getting struck by bolts of lightning. Finally, the pain stopped as the energy dissipated. The Tekkaman trembled as he looked up at his adversary. 

"W-What's going on?" 

Saber chuckled as he replied, "Oh what's the matter Slade? Don't like the dampening field which is preventing you from transforming?" 

"What?!" 

"Oh? You didn't know that the Tekkaman Power System had certain weaknesses? Aw, too bad." Seeing his greatest adversary in such pain pleased Saber immensely. "Well, for your information, energy pulses that are emitted from a very rare crystal substance can disrupt the power flows during transformation, causing extreme pain to the user, namely you. If you were to persist in trying to transform, then it would eventually lead to death. However, they have no effect on those who are already transformed, such as myself." 

"So... this was all a setup? The distress signal, and those life sign readings..." 

"Yes, and you took the bait, as I knew you would." 

"Why? Is this another scheme of the Earth's?" 

Saber snorted. "Earth? This has nothing to do with them. This... is between you and I." 

"What?" 

"Do you know that it took me _SIX WEEKS_ to recover from our last battle? During that time, I thought of nothing but revenge for the pain and humiliation that you put me through! I was the greatest warrior in the cosmos, until you defeated me. As punishment for my failures, the Council of Earth had cast me aside like garbage, but I do not care. For I shall soon have my revenge upon those pompous leaders of Earth once I have defeated you and taken your power!" 

"What are you talking about?" 

Saber gestured with his lance. "What I want from you Slade, is the secret to evolving into the penultimate form of the Tekkaman Power System. And you _WILL_ give me that secret or..." 

"Or what?" 

"Or I shall simply tear you apart and look for the secret in your bloody remains. Now I'm a reasonable man. If you give me that secret, then I shall turn off the dampening field and allow you and your pathetic friends to leave." 

Slade growled as he knew that he could trust Saber about as far as he could throw a planet. He could tell that the crimson space warrior would kill them all in an instant after he got what he wanted. He could also tell that Saber was a few cards short of a deck. He was a power-mad Tekkaman and that was a very _BAD_ combination. If he had the power of the penultimate state then... brrrr! He didn't even want to think about it! However, there was one problem. Slade didn't know for certain how he had become Tekkaman Blastor in the first place. His memory was still fuzzy over that time and he had been unable to duplicate the transformation since then. 

"Well Slade? Are you going to reasonable and give me what I want or..." The scarlet fighter let his words trail off, letting his opponent fill in the blanks. 

"Well, I hate to disappoint you Saber..." Slade winced as he got back to his feet. His body was feeling aches and pains in places he never knew he had. "... but I can't give you what you want, since I don't know how I did it either." 

"_YOU LIE!_" 

"Whether you believe me or not, it's the truth." 

"Fine then. Be that way." He then glanced over to where Duero and Barnette were standing, making them uneasy. "Perhaps if I slaughter your comrades, then you might become more willing to share." 

In an instant, Saber turned and charged at the two with lance thrust forward. He moved with such speed that Duero and Barnette had absolutely no time to defend themselves. They would have been skewered on the Tekkaman's weapon if Slade hadn't intervened. 

"_NO!_" 

Just was the point of the lance came close to puncturing Barnette, Slade let loose with a ki bolt, which knocked Saber off balance as it slammed into his side. However, the red warrior was only slightly stunned as he came to a stop and turned to face D-Boy. At that moment, the former Saotome leapt toward his foe and managed to grab hold of the shaft of Saber's weapon. Calling forth all the super-strength that he could muster, he tried to push his enemy back while calling out to his friends. 

"_GET OUT OF HERE NOW! HURRY!_" 

However, Saber had other ideas as he began pushing Slade back. 

"Well now, Slade. It seems that you're not quite as helpless without your Tekkaman powers as I thought. That was quite a trick. You actually made me blink. Still, as you currently are, you are no match for me!" 

Saber emphasized his point as he drove a knee into Slade's abdomen, then used his lance to knock him away. The Nirvana's Tekkaman went flying back and impacted heavily against a wall, causing a deep depression to form as the sides crumbled around him. 

Saber then turned and causally began walking toward Barnette and Duero. "Now then, where were we? Oh yes, I was about to turn the two of you into bloody smears on the walls." 

Barnette growled as she held up her weapon. "_GO TO HELL!_" The cavern was instantly flooded with the sounds of gunfire as the Dread pilot opened fire. Beside her, Duero also began shooting with his rifle.

However, the bullets were about as effective as throwing jelly beans as they flattened and bounced off the armor of their foe. Saber laughed as he continued to advance toward them. "Oh please! You've got to be kidding!" When he came within ten feet of them, he casually swung his lance at Duero, expecting his head to be sliced clean off his shoulders. 

The doctor managed to think fast enough and held up his rifle while leaning backward. The edge of Saber's lance cut into the side of the physician's weapon, but the rifle just barely managed to stay in one piece. However, the impact caused the Tarak man to be sent sprawling backward more than fifteen feet. Duero landed hard on his back as he skidded back another ten feet. 

Barnette began backing away while still firing at the cruel space warrior. However, she soon found herself backed against the wall and a moment later, her submachine gun was silent as she used up the ammunition in the clip. Before she could switch it for another magazine, Saber simply reached out and grasped the barrel of the gun, crushing the metal and plastic, and rendering it useless.

Barnette immediately dropped the ruined weapon and reached for her most trusted sidearm, which was an ancient Calico pistol. However, Saber simply stood there and dared her to fire, which she did. She started shooting and kept on shooting. However, when the gun's slide came forward, indicating that it was empty, Jura's friend knew that she was in trouble. It was at that time that she truly knew what fear was. She took another few steps back, but stumbled when her left foot stepped into a small crevice. The girl went down and landed hard on her rear. She winced as she felt a sharp pain shooting up her leg from her ankle. Still, she desperately tried to keep her distance from him. 

"Are you finished now?" Saber taunted as he continued to play with his prey. 

---------- 

Duero shook his head to clear it and saw that Barnette was in danger. He had suffered a small gash to his right temple, but now was no time to worry about it. He looked down at his rifle and noted that the outer protective casing had been cut through by Saber's lance, but the inner mechanisms and barrel had survived, meaning that the weapon was still functional. He picked up the weapon and staggered to his feet. 

The Tarak standard assault rifle, the Gladiator Mark II, was based on a combination of designs from older models, some of which dated back to Earth's 20th and 21st centuries. It was built to be rugged and reliable, and could function in nearly all types of enviornments, even in space by using a special propellant that required no oxygen to ignite. It was relatively easy to maintain and could be mass-produced at low costs. At the front was a retractable, tempered tritanium alloy bayonet, which was used for close-quarters combat. The gun fired a variable-type of ammunition. With a flick of a switch, it could convert the bullets into any kind of projectile the wielder desired. Some of the choices were tracers (TR), incendiary (IN), high explosive (HE), armor-piercing (AP) and an AP/HE combination. 

Duero knew that none of those settings would be able to penetrate Saber's armor, but he had to act quickly, if he were to save Barnette. Looking up, he spotted a huge stalactite, which hung directly over Saber. Taking some quick calculations, and decided that the risk of a cave-in was acceptable, he flicked the selector switch to AP/HE and began firing. At the same time, he shouted out to get Saber's attention. 

"_SABER!_" 

---------- 

Barnette saw that her end was imminent and she braced herself for the final, lethal blow. 

The Tekkaman had his lance raised high in preparation to end Barnette's life, when he heard his name. Pausing in the Dread pilot's execution, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the doctor foolishly firing over his head. Then he heard the explosions and looked up. 

"What?" 

Barnette took this opportunity to scramble out of the way as a huge chunk of rock came crashing down on top of Saber, followed by several more tons of smaller rocks. In less than ten seconds, the red space warrior was buried under a mound that would have crushed a man to pulp. As Duero had calculated, he had brought down only enough of the cavern ceiling to temporarily stop Saber, without causing the rest to collapse on top of everyone else. 

However, the doctor was not foolish enough to believe, that something as trivial as being buried under crushing tons of limestone and granite, would stop someone that could go one-on-one with Slade. The act had bought a momentary reprieve at best. Wasting no time, he rushed over to where Barnette had fallen and quickly examined her leg. Seeing that she had twisted her ankle, he immediately used the shiatsu techniques he had learned to deaden the pain, then slung her left arm over his right shoulder and let her lean against him, he helped her to stand. 

Barnette was in state of shock over Duero's selfless actions. "You... saved me, Duero. I... mean..." 

"We can talk about it later." The physician said as he hefted his medical kit and slung his rifle over his other shoulder. He then began hurriedly leading his patient to the entranceway. He paused to look back to where Slade was who was just now staggering to his feet. 

At that moment, the pile of rubble began to shift. 

"_GET OUT OF HERE NOW! SAVE YOURSELVES!_" Slade shouted as he prepared to release another ki bolt. 

"_WHAT ABOUT YOU?_" Duero shouted back. 

"_I SAID GET GOING!_" The warrior let loose with a blast at the ceiling, causing more rubble to fall, cutting himself off from his comrades and forcing them to abandon him. 

Just as the two began making their way out of the mesa, Saber exploded forth from his prison of stone and faced off against Slade. 

---------- 

"So we're just going to leave him there?" Barnette asked as she hobbled along. 

"Slade didn't give us a choice." Duero stated. "I didn't want to leave him either, but we wouldn't have stood a chance against Saber. You're injured and my patient's safety is my top priority as a doctor. The best we can do is to get out of here and get to our Vanguards. With Dita, Jura and Pegas, we might be able to help Slade fight off that monster and..." 

At that moment, the entire mesa shook as something deep within it exploded. The tunnel behind them began collapsing in on itself, and Duero found that he was too weighted down to run any faster. He had to make a decision and decided that his medical kit with its technological equipment was the most useless thing, and therefore was deadweight. Dropping the kit to the floor of the cavern, he moved his rifle over so that it would hang from his back, then swept a surprised Barnette off her feet. 

"What the...?! What are you doing?! Put me down!" 

Duero ignored her protests as he began sprinting as fast as he could, holding the girl close to his chest, so that if he fell, she would at least be shielded from falling debris with his own body. The girl in his arms began feeling a kind of strange warmth in her body and her cheeks reddened as her softer body was pressed up against the doctor's hardened, muscled chest. 

Without the heavy medical kit from Mejele loading him down, the doctor was able to pull ahead of the chaos and it seemed that he and Barnette were home free. That is... until the path in front of them disappeared. 

Duero managed to stop himself and his patient from falling to their doom. 

During their way into the maze of caverns, the group had to traverse a deep gorge and the only way across was by way of a narrow stone bridge. However, as the mesa began caving in on itself, the already crumbling natural structure broke apart and fell to the bottom some sixty feet down. Duero found himself cut off from the exit as there was now a twenty-five-foot gap that separated him and Barnette from freedom. Looking behind him, he saw that the cavern was fast breaking up behind him. Finding himself with another life-or-death situation, he made the only decision that was available. He backed as far as he could and tensed up. 

Barnette became alarmed as she realized what Deuro was intending to do. Oh no! No! You are not going to... wait a minute! 

The doctor didn't even let her finish as he suddenly sprang forward and ran for the edge. As the falling debris came crashing down just inches behind them, Duero threw himself forward... and jumped. 

Barnette screamed and instinctively looped her arms around Duero's neck. Her eyes were tightly shut as she knew that this was the end. However, an instant later, she felt a slight bump, then opened her eyes. She looked down and saw that Duero was still running... on solid ground! Looking over his shoulder, she saw the gorge rapidly getting smaller in the distance. 

We... made it? Barnette looked back at Duero, who was giving her a small smile. 

The physician mentally thanked his physical training at the academy, plus the sparring sessions with Slade, which had allowed him to make the jump, despite having Barnette in his arms. He just hoped that the Tekkaman would still be alive to receive his appreciation. 

---------- 

Outside of the mesa... 

What's going on? Jura asked as she and Dita saw the entire mesa tremble and quake. 

Over there! Dita cried out as she gestured with her Vanguard's hand toward the entrance. They were quite shocked to see Barnette being carried in Duero's arms. However, their attention turned back to the mesa as something exploded out from it like an ancient ICBM launching from its silo. 

---------- 

High above in the sky, Saber and his untransformed adversary grappled. Slade was battered, bruised and cut in several places, as he had just barely been able to hold his own against his darker counterpart. Slade had superhuman strength, formidable hand-to-hand combat skills and impressive ki abilities, but that still wasn't enough against the awesome power of a Tekkaman. Saber had the advantage in sheer raw power and the protection of his near impenetrable armor. Slade had bruised his knuckles on the metal and he was fading fast. Only by projecting his ki was he able to put up a decent fight, but he couldn't keep it up indefinitely. 

At the moment, he had both hands gripped on Saber's right arm, in which his enemy was using to strangle Slade's throat. He began to feel consciousness slip away as the pressure increased. 

I must say that I'm impressed Slade. Even without transforming, you are quite the fighter. However, I'm growing bored of this, so why don't we end this? Just give me the secret of your evolution ability and I'll let you go. 

Slade let off a gargled sound as he felt himself on the verge of blacking out. I told you... I don't know! And even if... I did, I wouldn't tell a maniac like you! 

Well then, I suppose I'll just have to find out the secret by _RIPPING_ it out of you!

---------

On the ground... 

DITA! WAIT! Jura cried out as Dita's Vanguard fired up its thrusters and took off. In addition to new power packs, Parfat's engineering team had outfitted the humanoid mecha with jet pods so that they could fly in atmosphere and maneuver better in space. They didn't have enough thrust to achieve escape velocity, so they still relied on their booster units to get into orbit. Only Pegas could get out into space on its own, due to its Paksis-enhanced systems. 

I'm going to help Mr. Alien! Dita replied as she jetted toward the battle. 

Pegas nodded as it too fired up its engines and took off. Jura followed suit. 

Barnette started struggling in Duero's arms as she tried to get him to release her. Will you put me down?! I have to get to my Vanguard and help them! 

Duero complied by setting her down, but shook his head. With that injured ankle, you're in no condition to pilot a Vanguard into combat. 

What do you know?! You're just a man! Barnette snapped as she started for her machine. 

I may be a man, but I am also your doctor! Duero shot back in a firm tone. And as your doctor, I am hereby grounding you! He then reached out to grab her right arm and hold her back. 

However, Barnette whirled about with her right hand and in it was her empty Calico pistol. 

**_THWACK!_ **

This took the Duero by surprise as he was still tired from carrying her. The butt end of the gun hit his right temple, near the wound he had received from Saber. This sent him reeling backward and caused more blood to be spilled. Barnette took the opportunity to go for her mecha. 

You can't stop me! Barnette shouted back as she headed toward her machine. She winced as new pain shot up her leg, but she ignored the discomfort as she got into the cockpit and started up her Van-Type. In a few moments, she was airborne and heading straight for the enemy. 

Duero shook his head and cursed a bit at himself for not stopping her. He then headed for his own Vanguard. 

---------- 

Up in the air... 

Last chance Slade. Are you going to give me the secret or...? 

_LEAVE MR. ALIEN ALONE!_

Dita's Vanguard came roaring toward the two with pulse rifle aimed directly at Slade's tormentor. 

However, Saber simply released his captive and let him plummet toward the ground as he dealt with his new opponent. He figured that he had more than enough time to destroy the Dread pilot and retrieve his prisoner before he came to the end of his one thousand meter fall. 

Dita screamed as Saber easily dodged her rifle shots, then flashed by her machine. With one quick slash of his lance, the right arm and rifle were cut to pieces. Warning lights began to flash in her cockpit as her systems started rerouting power to deal with the damage. However, that was when Saber drove the point of his weapon through the chest area and into the cockpit, barely missing Dita's head by millimeters. The red-head screamed as she saw how close she had been to being skewered. As Saber withdrew his weapon, sparks began flashing and smoke appeared in her cockpit. As she saw the damage reports on her main screen, she knew that she had no hope of keeping her Vanguard aloft. Grabbing hold of the ejector lever, she pulled hard as her fighter began falling with a thick plume of smoke trailing from it. The top of the Vanguard blew open as emergency thrusters righted the machine long enough to eject its pilot. 

Dita felt her spine being compressed a bit as the charges beneath her chair went off, propelling her out of her stricken fighter and into the sky. Automatic devices within the chair set forth straps which wrapped about her torso like a harness. Dita realized that she was now floating down toward the ground as a huge parachute emerged from the back of the seat and opened up above her. Her chair fell away and the pilot was safely on her way down. Below her, the damaged Vanguard kept on falling until it slammed into the desert sands with a tremendous explosion. Soon the wrecked mecha was nothing more than a burning mass of twisted metal and circuits. 

---------- 

While Saber was dealing with Dita, Slade had fallen about a third of the way and seemed to be unconscious. Jura's Vanguard rocketed toward him to intercept. However, she had to match his rate of fall in order to catch him safely, or he would hit her Vanguard's outstretched hands at a velocity that would splatter him like a jar of strawberry jam. Unfortunately, as she neared her target, guess who would show up at that moment? 

Stay away! He's mine! 

Saber could have easily killed Dita as she floated helplessly toward the ground, but when he sighted Jura trying to take his prize, he immediately disregarded her and went to deal with the blonde Dread pilot. 

Before Jura's mecha could catch the falling Slade, the crimson warrior passed by and severed both of her Vanguards limbs at the forearms. Slade's body passed her by and continued to plummet. Saber made a tight U-Turn and then went into a kamikaze dive toward the handless battle frame. Barnette's friend knew that she wouldn't survive the collision, so she reached down an pulled the ejection lever. She managed to eject in time before the red Tekkaman plowed through her Vanguard, turning it into a ball of flame and sending mangled parts flying everywhere. 

---------- 

Luckily for Slade, Pegas was still looking out for him. As Saber destroyed Jura's Vanguard, the Tekkabot managed to calculate an intercept course and matched its master's rate of fall. When Slade was about fifty feet from the ground, the loyal robot managed to make a catch and avoided hitting the ground by inches. Cradling the Nirvana's Tekkaman carefully in its arms, the Tekkabot made a safe landing and looked down at him, just as he was coming around. 

Ow... what... happened? 

Pegas saved Slade. 

The automaton replied. Slade shook his head to clear it, then looked up. To his horror, he saw two parachutes, indicating that a couple of the pilots had been shot down and were now easy targets. He also saw two more Vanguards engaging Tekkaman Saber. One of the machine was flying recklessly and he had a hunch as to who it was. 

---------- 

_YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO JURA!_ Barnette screamed after she had seen her friend's machine go down. Though she knew that Jura was all right, she was still determined to make this bastard pay for what he had done to herself and her friend. 

However, Saber was anything but frightened of his opponents. The Vanguards were nothing more than toys to him and after seeing that Slade had survived the fall, he decided that the faster he dispatched with these last two, then the sooner he could finish his business with him. 

As he dodged Barnette's shots with ease, he decided to give her a taste of his true power. Jetting back to get some distance, he powered up the blisters on his torso armor and... 

---------- 

Slade screamed as he saw what was about to happen. 

---------- 

_BARNETTE! LOOK OUT!_ Duero shouted as he flew his mecha into Barnette's and tried to push her out of the way. 

---------- 

Scarlet beams of energy lanced toward Barnette's Vanguard and would have vaporized her instantly, if Duero's machine hadn't managed to push her out of the way. However, it was not enough, as both Vanguards received a glancing shot of Saber's blasts and were sent hurtling toward the ground, hundreds of miles away. 

---------- 

Slade shouted as the last of his comrades were shot down. He didn't know if Duero or Barnette were alive or not, but swore that he was going to make Saber pay. He then realized that he was no longer within the caverns and near of those crystals, so that meant... 

_IT'S PAYBACK TIME!_ Slade leapt down out of Pegas' arms and held his crystal aloft. _TEKSETT... ARRGH!_

Once again, his body was racked by pain as energy surges tore though his very being. He fell to knees and trembled as Saber landed some fifty feet from where he and Pegas were. 

Saber chuckled as he noted that Slade had once again attempted to transform. What's the matter, Slade? Still can't Tekset? Don't you think I would have prepared for all situations? There's no place on this world, in which you can become a Tekkaman! 

W-What do you mean? 

Saber smiled behind his helmet as he began taking slow, measured steps toward him. I mean that the crystals in those caverns weren't the only ones I had. After I had recovered from our last battle, I had come across a sizable deposit of those crystals in that mesa. By using some equipment from the wreckage of the Harvestor mothership you had defeated, I secretly implanted special emitters, powered by those crystals, into several dozen meteoroids and other chunks of space debris. Those emitters have been activated and are now orbiting about the planet. This entire dust ball is now being continuously blanketed with a dampening field. The same disruptive energies you had felt in that mesa is being transmitted to every inch of this globe. And don't even think about trying to escape this world or getting help from your friends on the Nirvana. The emitters are also producing a force field which is keeping them out and us in. They are being continuously fed power by a secret generator and will be able to function for decades! Face it, Slade. You will be trapped here forever, unless you give me what I want!

Slade gritted his teeth as Saber neared him. There seemed to be no way out and without his armor and Tekkaman powers, he was no match for his adversary. All seemed lost. 

_Damn it! If that bastard didn't have **HIS** Armor, then I would kick his sorry... wait a second! That's it! It's his armor which is protecting him from those crystals! He was able to transform because he hadn't turned on those emitters yet! He said that those energies didn't affect a transformed Tekkaman, so... that must mean that the armor must shield him from feeling those energies. Hmmm... if I can somehow get him out of his armor... or maybe, all I have to do is get one piece off him!_ Slade began eyeing the lance in Saber's hands as he continued to advance. _Okay... I know from experience that my lance and his can pierce our armor, so... I'm going to have to gamble!_

When Saber got within twenty feet of Slade, Pegas immediately came between them, ready to defend its master to the end. 

Slade snorted as he held out his weapon. Do you really think that piece of junk can stop me, Slade? 

As Saber prepared to attack, Slade made a hand gesture to his robotic partner. Over time, he had developed a series of secret signals for just such an occasion. Pegas caught the movement and signaled its acknowledgement, which was blinking its photoreceptors. 

At that moment, Saber charged forward with his lance held out, ready to skewer the Tekkabot. At the last moment, Pegas hit its thrusters and created a huge amount of sand to be blown up as it rocketed upwards. Saber's lance narrowly missed the Tekkabot and while he was still charging, Slade made his move. Lunging forward, he ducked beneath the point of Saber's weapon and went right up to him while reaching out with his right arm, palm spread out. He released a full power ki bolt at point-blank range in Saber's face. At the same time, Pegas let loose with a concentrated laser bolt, striking precisely on Saberr's helmet, catching him off guard and driving him back. This made him release his hold on his weapon for a moment and that's when Slade reacted. 

Grabbing hold of the shaft, Slade pulled back far enough for the other end of the lance to come past Saber's midsection, shifted to one side, then thrust forward. The point punched through the armor, in the upper-left quadrant of the red Tekkaman's abdominal region, and into the softer tissue beneath. 

Saber howled in rage and pain as his opponent had used his own weapon against him. The he began to feel a new kind of pain as he staggered back and pulled out his lance. Looking down at the wound that Slade had inflicted, he saw sparks of energy gushing forth, which began to spread out through his body. Saber began trembling and twitching in pain as he realized what Slade had done. 

How's it feel Saber? Slade taunted. Those crystals sure do hurt with their disruption fields, dont they? As long as I don't try to transform, I won't feel them, but since you've now got a hole in your armor, then that means the fields are going to disrupt your energies, won't they? 

Saber started screaming in absolute agony as the energies continued to flow into him. Soon, it felt as if he was about to implode within his armor. 

Slade smiled smugly. How does it feel to have a taste of your own medicine? Now the way I see it, you have two choices. You can either transform back to your human form and be in the same situation as I am now, or you can turn off those emitters before your body is destroyed by the dampening fields that you set up! 

C-Curse you, Slade! I _WILL_ have my... _ARRRRGGGGHHHH_! 

You better decide quick, Saber. The longer you stay as a Tekkaman with that damaged armor, the more painful it'll be! 

_WE... WILL... MEET... AGAIN... SLADE!_ Saber gritted as he fired his thrusters and rocketed up toward the heavens. 

Slade could only watch as the red Tekkaman became a distant dot in the sky and disappeared. 

At that moment, Jura and Dita came running up to him after landing safely. 

---------- 

Saber was near imploding when he finally reached the barrier which surrounded the planet. The dampening field was tearing up his insides and he needed to get some distance before they caused irreparable damage to his body. However, he was not going to let Slade get away so easily. Instead of dropping the barrier and emitters as Slade had hoped, he only deactivated a small portion of the fields to allow him to pass, then reactivated them, trapping Slade and the others on that world until he recovered. He emerged from the barrier on the other side of the planet, so the Nirvana would not detect him. As such, the pirates were still cut off from their comrades and were unable to help. 

---------- 

As the setting of the world's three suns had begun, Slade looked toward the horizon in the direction of where he had last seen Duero and Barnette's Vanguards, as they were sent crashing to the ground. He hoped that they had indeed survived and were somewhere out there in that desolate wilderness. However, now was not the time. He had already told Jura and Dita to start salvaging whatever equipment, supplies and materials they could from their downed Vanguards. They would have to build a shelter and soon, before the temperatures began to drop and the cold desert night began. 

---------- 

Some three hundred miles from where Slade and the others were... 

Duero bit back the pain in his head, which was bandaged up, as he finished gathering whatever gear he could from his wrecked Vanguard. His medical satchel, which he had brought from Tarak, had survived the crash and was also filled with various survival supplies, as well as medicinal. Unlike the Mejele kit, it was not loaded down with complex diagnostic and surgical devices. The instruments were simpler and perhaps considered crude, but Duero knew that he could trust them. They were not affected by the electromagnetic interference and were lightweight, which made for easier traveling. 

He had also managed to get a hold of the spare Tarak assault rifle in Barnette's Vanguard, which had crashed some fifty meters away from his own. Barnette had been unaware that her Vanguard also contained the Tarak weapon, which was hidden within a compartment above the pilot's seat. Added to the rifle he had, plus several extra magazines and a gun maintenance kit, he was confident enough that they would be able to defend themselves from any of the dangers this world had to offer. And if they were anything like the fierce predators of Deuro's homeworld, then they were going to need every last round. 

Though he had grown used to eating solid foods, he was quite prepared to go back to pills again as he gathered about three days worth of Tarak rations. When these ran out, then he would have to... cross that bridge when he came to it. 

Among the other things that he had was able to salvage, were several signal flares, some utensils for cooking and eating, flashlights, a large tarp, and so on. Whatever items he was missing to ensure survival, he would get creative. Seeing that there was no instruments on the Vanguards or in Barnette's so-called survival kit to light a simple fire, he began collecting some pieces of flint from the surrounding area and materials for kindling. When he scavenged Barnette's belongings, he found some flimsy material, which would burn well and get the fire started after he had collected enough wood from some of the brush that was nearby. Starting a campfire was crucial as night was fast approaching. 

_I certainly hope that she doesn't mind if I use these._

When he had gathered enough supplies and whatnot, he returned back to his Vanguard. There, Barnette lay unconscious on a blanket, beneath a temporary lean-to, which Duero had quickly fashioned from support struts, cables and a tarp. He would later build a tent after he had gotten a fire going. 

After pulling Barnette from her downed fighter, Duero had quickly treated her wounds and applied some salves to prevent scarring on her skin, which he knew she detested. As of now, Barnette's injured ankle had been set and bandaged, and her right forearm was wrapped after she had received a large cut during the crash. She had also received numerous bumps and bruises, but her bodysuit had taken the brunt of the impacts and allowed her to survive. She was going to be sore for a few days, but she would live... for now. 

The real question was, would they be able to live long enough to be rescued. Duero knew that it was a very dangerous world he was on. He had done some research on it before volunteering for the Away Mission. It was a harsh, unforgiving environment and only the strong survived. It was going to be... survival of the fittest. Duero was determined to prove that he was up to the challenge. 

To be continued... 

Author's Notes 

Whoa! Was that a _LONG_ one! In any case, part one draws to a close, and if you readers haven't already figured it out, this will be a mainly a Duero/Barnette storyline. Duero has always been my favorite Vandread character as he reminds me of Dr. McCoy and Spock from Star Trek. He's got the medical savvy of Bones, and the calm, cool attitude of the Vulcan First Officer. 

There's going to be a lot of interactions between the characters, but especially between the doctor and our man-hating Dread pilot. Barnette may come from a world in which the people enjoy the benefits of advanced technology, but she's soon going to learn that Tarak isn't something to scoff at. Those men had to learn how to survive, without the advantages of technology, and Duero is going to give her some lessons in the basics. She'll find herself like a fish out of water and she may even come to appreciate the lessons that Duero will impart to her. She might even come... to appreciate the man himself. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink) 

I'm also going to explore the childhoods of both Duero and Barnette as they begin to open up to each other. I will also talk about the differences between life on Tarak and Mejele as these two will find that they actually have some things in common. Who knows? Parfat might just find herself with some competition. I just love multiple triangles, don't you? 

Don't worry though. I haven't forgotten the star of this fanfic and we will also be seeing interactions between Slade, Dita and Jura and learn that there's more beneath the surface than meets the eyes. Saber will return to make our hero's life more miserable and there will be plenty of action as well. See you in part 2. 

  
(1) Way back in Tekkadread the First Stage Ch.5 


	7. Chapter 5, Part 2: Survival of the Fitte...

**TEKKADREAD**

Disclaimer: Well if you want me to disclaim, then I will. Ranma 1/2, Vandread and Tekkaman Blade are figments of some one else's imagination and this fic is a figment of mine. 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 5**

**Part 2**

**Survival of the Fittest**

The Nirvana... 

"Is there any way at all that we can get through that barrier?" Magno asked as the pirate vessel remained in its orbit above the planet that Slade and the others were trapped on. 

"Not that I can see." Ezra replied as she read the latest readouts on the shield that encircled the world below. "There's just no way we can penetrate it from the outside. We can't scan beyond it due to the interference. I can't even begin to guess where the generator that is supplying the power is located. It could be virtually anywhere on the planet." 

The aged captain sighed as she considered her options. For the last four hours, they had been trying to contact their comrades below, but with no luck. In addition to blocking any attempt to land on the surface, the barrier also deflected all forms of communication and scanning frequencies, rendering it impossible for the Nirvana's crew to locate their missing members. They couldn't even tell if they were alive nor dead, but they refused to abandon them. All they could do at the moment was wait... and pray. 

---------- 

The Engineering Section... 

"There's just got to be a way to get through that shield." Parfat said as she continued to study the problem on her console. After learning about the situation, she had put all of her time and effort to finding a solution to the dilemma. The Nirvana could not afford to lose Slade or anyone else at this point in their journey. She was especially concerned over the safety of one man from Tarak. 

"You should get some rest, Ma'am." One of the engineering staff said with concern, as she handed her superior a cup of tea. "You'll run yourself into the ground at this rate." 

"I can't stop now!" Parfat said as she waved off the tea, not taking her eyes off the console's display of the force-field. "Not while Duero's trapped down there!" 

"Excuse me?" 

Parfat's cheeks blushed a bit as she realized what she had just said. "Er, I mean, I can't stop while our friends are trapped on that planet! There's _GOT_ to be a way through that shield! I just know there is!" 

"I don't know, Ma'am. That barrier looks pretty impenetrable." The assistant said. "I mean, its readings are about equal to Tekkadread Jura's, and the only thing we know of that can break that kind of energy is an amplified Anti-Voltekker. We can't produce that kind of power, since we still don't fully understand the Tekkaman Power Process." 

Parfat nodded as she remembered the last time the pirates had encountered Saber. 

"And we can't continuously fire at it." The aide added. "That barrier will reflect our shots right back at us, at ten times their intensity." 

It was then that Parfat noticed some discrepancies in the energy wavelength patterns in the barrier. As she began clicking in some new data into her console, her thoughts started drifting back to images of a certain someone who worked in the Sick Bay and wondered if he was doing all right. 

_He's still alive down there! I just know it! Duero isn't the kind of man who just gives up!_

----------

The planet's surface... 

_I give up!_

Duero sighed as he realized that his efforts to make a crude compass had been doomed to failure. The principal was simple enough and he had the materials to make such a device. He had taken a steel sliver of metal and magnetized it, using a magnetic coupling from the wreckage of his Vanguard. He had also constructed a pivot point, using a glass beaker of water from his medical kit, and a cork from one of his test tubes to float the needle on. However, as soon as he tried it out, the needle pointed in several directions, indicating that the magnetic fields of the planet were erratic and unreliable to be used for determining direction. He dumped the contents of the beaker out and replaced the container and the cork back into his satchel. 

_I guess I'm going to have to rely more on my instincts. Technology can't help us much here._ He remembered back to when he had checked his high-tech medical equipment and how off their calibrations were. The EM interference had made most electronic devices either reduced in function or useless. However, that didn't mean that the good doctor was helpless. Long before he was well acquainted with the wonders science and technology, he had been taught the value of relying on one's own abilities. 

He began remembering back to the words that his Prime had told him when he was six... 

----------

Flashback... 

"Remember these words, my son. Though technology is a wondrous thing and has proven itself to very useful, it can _NEVER_ replace the gifts that you were born with. Your hands and feet are your most reliable allies, while your brain is your greatest weapon. Technology is merely an extension of these things and can fail you. When all is said and done, technology is nothing without your gifts." 

"What do you mean?" A young Duero asked. 

"What good is a weapon without a hand to wield it? What is a computer without someone to operate it? How does a spaceship fly if there is no one in the pilot's chair?" 

"But we've got automatic machines, and things like that. They don't need people to work them." 

"True, but who do you think _BUILT_ those machines? How about programming their systems or repairs them when they break down? It all comes right back to the human factor. It was through our ideas and our hands, which these things came into being. And even when your own hands become withered and useless, your legs become too weak to for you to stand and your mind beings to wander with old age, your very spirit can carry you through. If you have the will to survive, to keep going, when all else fails, then there is _NOTHING_ you cannot accomplish." 

----------

End of Flashback... 

Duero nodded as he began thinking about the present and the future. His first priority was to keep his patient warm throughout the cold desert night. 

Barnette lay on the makeshift bed he had made, after tending to her injuries. At present, she had come out of her unconscious state and had drifted off in a deep slumber. The healer had already checked for broken bones and any signs of internal injuries from the crash. Fortunately, other than her previously twisted ankle, (which he had realigned), a large cut on her right arm and some superficial bruises and abrasions, she was no worse for wear and her vital signs were good. The new flight suit had done its job, though Duero made a note to ask Parfat to construct helmets for Vanguard pilots, when they returned to the Nirvana. 

Seeing that the campfire wouldn't be enough to keep Barnette from freezing, especially since the temperature had begun to drop more rapidly during the setting of this world's three suns, Duero began rummaging about the salvaged supplies. He nodded as he found another large tarp, and some metal support rods, taken from the wreckage of his Vanguard. Grabbing some lengths of cable and disengaging the bayonet from his assault rifle, he began fashioning a shelter to protect himself and the girl from the elements. 

----------

Twenty minutes later... 

_It looks like I still remember the survival skills from my Spirit Trial._

The physician nodded as he assessed his handiwork. The tent was not pretty, but it was well-built and would provide the protection he and Barnette needed as they slept through the night. The makeshift shelter would be easy to assemble and disassemble, and was light enough to carry. Who knows how long they were going to be stranded here? 

After completing the tent and placing his patient in it, Duero then wrapped the girl in as much materials he could find to keep her warm. He had purposely left her clothed in her flight suit as it would act as an extra layer of insulation. Before turning in for the night himself, he had stowed all the supplies and survival gear in two large backpacks, which he had fashioned from leftover canvas and cord. After making certain that the fire he had made would burn through the night, thereby providing warmth and keeping this planet's wildlife away, he went into the tent and prepared to settle down for the night. Laying the two backpacks off to one side and his rifle and medical satchel within easy reach, Duero lay down beside Barnette and tried to get some sleep. However, with a very attractive female no more than a foot away, the Tarak man found it quite difficult to fall into a slumber.

In the Nirvana's Sick Bay, he had examined many females and had seen them without their clothes. However, he had always remained professional and had never had any reaction to their naked bodies, as he treated injures and illnesses. Now, it was... different. He wasn't thinking about being a doctor and his gaze kept on drifting back to Barnette's motionless form. He couldn't help but... admire the softer and gentler lines of her face, unlike the hardened visages of his fellows on Tarak. She seemed to be so... peaceful as her chest rose and fell at a normal rate. His thoughts then strayed back to when he was treating her wounds and he had marveled at how soft her skin was and its milky-white complexion. For the men of his home world, most were tanned, due to the harsh rays of the sun. His heart seemed to beat at a slightly erratic rate, whenever he thought about the curves on her body and... 

Duero shook his head. Just why was he feeling this way about her? Barnette had been hostile to him since he had come aboard the Nirvana, but he couldn't help but notice the fire in her eyes and admire her strength of will. If not for her gender, her tough-as-nails attitude would have been welcomed on Tarak. 

_What is it about females that fascinates me so? And why Barnette? Is this what Slade meant about the ancient relationship between males and females? Is it even right for me to **THINK** of Barnette in this fashion? And why do I feel that I'm hurting Parfat whenever I think about Barnette like this?_

Duero shook his head again and then heard his stomach rumbling. He realized that he had not eaten since the crash, and that it would be too much trouble to go rummaging about the packs for the Tarak rations. He decided that he could wait until morning to eat, and figure out a way to increase their food and water supplies. 

_I wonder how Slade and the others are doing?_

----------

Speaking of whom... 

"You don't expect us to eat this, do you?" Jura asked as she looked down at her dinner and grimaced. She and her comrades were currently sitting around a campfire. Behind them was a large tent, in which Slade had built with salvaged materials from the burned-out wreckages of the two Vanguards and the parachutes the girls had used, when they had ejected. Standing nearby on watch was Pegas. 

Both girls had been more than impressed with Slade's camping skills, in which he had constructed a shelter and built a campfire within twenty minutes, ensuring that they would have decent protection from the cold desert night. The Tekkaman had always wondered why he was so skilled at living off the land, during his planet-hopping days. He couldn't remember where he had learned how to survive in the wild, but the techniques in building a tent and lighting a fire seemed to be ingrained into him. 

"Ewww!" Dita winced as she remembered the last time she had tasted this kind of food. 

Slade shrugged as he calmly munched down on his plate of Tarak food pills. The Mejelian rations that both girls had brought with them had burned up when their Vanguards were sent crashing into the desert. The only edible things, (barely edible at that), were the Tarak rations that had been stored in reinforced compartments in the cockpits. 

"Sorry girls, but we're going to have to make do with what we have, at least until morning. I should be able to get some decent food by then... unless something comes along tonight." 

"What are you talking about?" Jura asked, as she stared disgustingly at her plate. 

At that moment, they all heard a snapping sound, followed by a rustle. Both girls reached for their sidearms, as Slade tensed up and listened. He smiled as he realized what the sound was and motioned for females to relax. Then he stood up and walked off in the direction of the noise. 

"What is it, Mr. Alien?" Dita asked. 

Slade smirked as he replied without glancing back at her. "If I'm not mistaken, you girls can put those pills back into their container for later." 

Both girls were in a state of puzzlement, but were glad to pour the contents of their plates back into the rations box. A minute later, Slade emerged from the darkness with something slung over his right shoulder and hanging behind his back.

"What's that?" Jura asked. 

Slade smiled as he replied. "Dinner." 

"Really?!" Both cried exclaimed as they leaned forward to see what he had. _ANYTHING_ was better than those awful Tarak food pills! 

That was when Slade showed them a huge, ugly lizard that had six legs with a long, slimy tongue dangling out of its mouth. Its head was crushed and its eyeballs were dripping fluid onto the ground. 

The results were predictable. 

"_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!_"

----------

"I am _NOT_ eating that!" Jura said for the umpteenth time as Slade continued to roast the oversized alien iguana on a spit over the fire. 

Dita was also a bit squeamish as she watched in morbid fascination. She had prepared raw meat before, but this... 

"Suit yourself. You can go back to those pills if you like." Slade hummed to himself as he prepared the meat. After killing the beast with one blow and gutting it of its innards, including what he had correctly guessed as venom sacs, he had begun cooking the thing. "However, I've got to warn you that you really don't have the option to be choosy. Besides, it's not like I haven't done this before, and when you cook lizard just right... it tastes like chicken."

----------

Ten minutes later... 

"You sure you two don't want any?" Slade asked as he wolfed down a large portion of the lizard meat. 

Dita couldn't bring herself to answer as she had watched Slade eat. She couldn't believe that Mr. Alien was actually eating that... thing. 

As for Jura, she had her back turned and had managed not to throw up at the sight. Although she had gotten very hungry at this point, her pride refused to let her give in to her natural urges to eat either the lizard or those pills. 

"How... can you _DO_ that?!" 

Slade shrugged. "What? You mean eat? Oh it's very simple. You open your mouth, put the food in, chew and then you swallow. Do it enough times and your stomach stops complaining for a while." 

"That isn't what I meant!" Jura said with some irritation as she turned about and faced him. She was beginning to wonder why she even considered him for an ohma for her children. 

Slade's expression softened a bit as he nodded. "Yeah, I know. I was just trying to make a joke and lighten the mood, but I guess I'm not much of a comedian. In answer to your question, I'm simply following the laws of nature, and let me tell you something; nature can be real cruel at times. Take it from someone who knows." 

"What do you mean, Mr. Alien?" Dita asked. 

"I mean that if you stay away from civilization and all of its trappings long enough, sooner of later nature will strip you down and expose you for who and what kind of a person you truly are. It's something that you can't resist, but you can work with it, if you are willing. I'm not going to lie. Let's face it, our situation right now isn't good. We can't escape this planet because the Vanguards are wrecked, and that damned barrier is keeping us in and the Nirvana out. I can't transform and we are missing two of our group. Just about all of our technology is useless from the EM interference, except for Pegas, and his systems aren't working at 100%. And I suspect that we haven't seen the last of Saber. He might just return to finish the job that he started."

"Then we're doomed! It's all over! We're all going to die here! Without any technology, we're as good as dead!" Jura said as her body shook with despair and fear, as she then ran off into the darkness. 

"_JURA!_" Slade cried out as he began running after her. He momentarily addressed Dita. "Stay here!" He then gave a quick command to Pegas to guard Dita and the campsite. 

As he left, Dita looked back at the lizard that was still roasting on the spit. Her stomach growled as the scent of cooking meat continued to waft past her nose.

----------

"_GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!_" Jura said half-sobbing as she continued to run. 

However, the Tekkaman was faster as he caught up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "_JURA! LISTEN TO ME!_" 

"_NO, LET GO OF ME!_" 

The blonde pilot continued to struggle, trying to get free of his grip. However, since Slade was far stronger than any normal man, her attempts were futile. However, she still persisted. 

"Jura, calm down and listen!" 

"_NO! THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO SAY! THERE'S NO HOPE! I'D RATHER DIE FAST THAN ROT SLOWLY IN THIS HELL!_" 

"We're not dead yet, Jura. Now will you please calm down and let me..." 

"_NO! LET ME GO! JUST LET ME DIE NOW AND..._" 

_Damn! Well... it worked before._

Jura was immediately spun around and before she knew it... 

"_MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHFFFFF!_" 

In an instant, her body temperature rose as her heart rate accelerated, and her legs felt weak, as her lips were once again pressing up against Slade's. Her struggles immediately ceased as the osculation deepened. Finally, the space warrior broke the kiss and gazed into Jura's emerald eyes while giving her a determined look, though he was a bit shaken himself. 

"Now listen up Jura. Just because I said that things look bad, doesn't mean that you should give up, because I certainly haven't!" 

"W-What?"

"That's right. I'm not going to give up, because I have faith." 

"F-Faith?" 

"Yeah. I have faith that we _WILL_ find Barnette and Duero. I have faith that we _WILL_ get off this planet and back to the ship. Most of all, I have faith in myself, Dita... and you."

"M-Me?"

"Yeah. When I first met with you, I thought that you were a selfish, vain, egotistical, fame-hungry twit." 

Jura felt a twinge of anger rise, but then Slade said... 

"However, in time, I also found out that you are a courageous and beautiful person, both inside and out. You can be depended on when the chips are down, and I do know that sometimes you may act all high and mighty, but that's because you're insecure. And I know that you can get scared. That's only natural."

"It... is?" 

The Tekkaman nodded as he began leading her back to camp. "Sure. This is probably your first time without the things that you've taken for granted, right? Well I do know what that's like. Before I hooked up with the Nirvana, I had to do without a lot of things during my travels. However, I didn't let that stop me from going on. I just thought of it as a kind of training."

"Training?"

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that you and Dita can get through this as well. I've managed to survive all this time, and I believe you can as well. If I didn't have faith, then I wouldn't have let you or Dita come along on this mission. You are strong, Jura. You can do this. I know you can. And I'll be right here to teach you what you need to know." 

"You will?" 

"Scout's honor." 

"Huh?" 

"It's just a saying that I picked up somewhere. However, I have to warn you, it's _NOT_ going to be easy. I'm not going to lie to you. You will have to _WORK_ to survive down here. There will be some things that you will have to accept and some things that you may have to give up, in order to get through this. Do you understand?" 

"You mean... like eating that... thing?" Jura shuddered a bit. 

Slade nodded as they neared the camp. "First rule of nature. You either eat to live, or you die and be eaten. I won't force that meat or those pills down your throat, but keep in mind that food is a very precious commodity here, second only to water, and even the most distasteful of things can mean the difference between dying and seeing the next day." 

When they came upon the campfire, the blonde was surprised to see Dita eating from a plate of lizard meat. Beside her was another plate of food. 

The redhead smiled up from her seat. "Hey Mr. Alien! You were right! It _DOES_ taste like chicken! Jura, you should have some!" 

Barnette's friend blanched a bit as she was offered the plate, but remembering back to what Slade had told her, and given a reassuring smile from the Tekkaman, she decided that it wouldn't hurt to try it. Gingerly, she reached out, picked up a morsel, gazed upon it for a long moment, then after making a silent prayer, popped it into her mouth and began to chew. 

She was very surprised when the flavor reached her taste buds. The meat _DID_ seem like chicken, with a sharp, but delightful aftertaste. It was moist, but lacked the oily sensation that usually occurred when roasting fowl. After swallowing the first piece, she took the plate and began consuming another morsel, followed by another, then another. Before she realized it, Jura had eaten the entire plate within 5 minutes. 

Slade smiled. These girls were going to be all right.

----------

Later that night... 

Slade winced and squirmed a bit as both Jura and Dita snuggled up to him, and moaned softly in their sleep. The Tekkaman was sandwiched between the two and right now, his control over his libido was strained to its absolute limit. To them, he was just a big, cuddly, teddy bear. 

Despite the fact that there was a large fire burning outside and salvaged heater unit inside the tent, the two females still moved toward the closest source of heat, namely his hard-muscled body. Jura giggled a bit as her left land unconsciously traced his pectorals, and then she mumbled in her sleep. 

"_MMMMMMM..._ nice... hard..." 

On his other side, Dita was also talking in her sleep as she gripped Slade's right arm with such pressure, that it threatened to cut off his circulation.

"Oh... Mr. Alien!" 

Then, almost at the same time, each girl began moving one hand down south and... 

"_AAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!_" 

It was going to be a _VERY_ long night.

----------

Duero was also in a state of agitation, as his patient had suddenly rolled over, and her right leg and arm were draped over him. Then Barnette started to talk in her sleep. It became apparent that she was deeply involved in a dream. 

"Mmmmm... have you working out, Jura? You're so hard. It's okay, though. I think muscles are _SEXY_!" 

_What is she talking about?!_ The cool and collected physician thought. He tried to gently pull away, but the girl simply tightened her grip and pulled him closer. 

"Don't be such a tease, Jura! You _KNOW_ what I want!"

_Want what? What is she talking about?_ Duero began to feel a bit on edge. 

"Come on, Jura! Don't tell me that you're not in the mood." 

_Mood? **WHAT MOOD**?!_

"Don't say that you don't want this." Barnette reached over and grabbed one of Duero's hands, placing it on top of her left breast. She began moving it about, making Duero REALLY tense. What surprised him even more was that after a few seconds, his hand began squeezing and rubbing against it on its own. He found himself marveling at how firm, yet pliable her bosom was and how that hard nub seemed to be getting harder... 

_**WHAT AM I DOING?!**_

"Mmmmm... that feels _WONDERFUL_!" 

_Come to think of it... it does feel... pleasant and... What the?!_

It was then that Barnette's hand went downtown... 

_WHOA!_ Duero had just barely managed not to scream, as he scrambled away, waking Barnette up in the process. 

The brunette moaned a bit in pain as she slowly rose to a sitting position. Naturally, she was disoriented from her injuries and couldn't see much in the dark. That is, until Duero used a small flashlight from one of his trenchcoat pockets. The Dread pilot noticed that the physician was a bit agitated and was in the process of calming down. She wondered why he was in such a state. And why was she feeling... cheap? 

"Oh... where am I? What... happened?" 

Duero took several calming breaths, using Slade's methods of regaining one's mental focus. When he came back to his old self, he paused for a long moment, and spoke. 

"I'm glad you're finally awake."

----------

A few minutes, and one abridged explanation later... 

"We're stranded on this planet?" Barnette said in disbelief.

"That's about the long and short of it." Duero replied. "Both of our Vanguards were damaged beyond repair during the crash, and we've lost all contact with the Nirvana, as well as the rest of the landing party. Nearly all of our electronic gear was destroyed or rendered useless, probably due to the EM interference, though I have a feeling that Saber may have done something as well." 

Barnette's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to recall what had happened. However, a red light striking her Vanguard was the only thing that she could remember when she had charged Saber, and then... nothing. 

Duero noted her agitation and confusion as he began filling in the gaps. "You almost died when you went up against Saber..."

----------

Flashback to a few hours before... 

"BARNETTE! BARNETTE! CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU'VE GOT TO EJECT!" 

Duero watched in horror as her Vanguard tumbled end over end as it continued to fall toward the ground. The glancing blast they had received from Saber's Anti-Voltekker had sent them hurtling hundreds of miles away, but Duero managed to gain control of his machine's descent and was using his thrusters to keep the mecha upright as it plummeted. However, Barnette's spun chaotically like flailing skydiver who had lost his parachute, and the doctor realized that she was either unable to control her fighter, was unconscious or... dead. 

Quickly using his sensors to scan her mecha, he was relieved to detect life signs, but at lower rates. This indicated that Barnette was injured but alive. However, with the ground fast approaching, Duero knew that he had to act fast to save her. 

Ejecting from his failing machine and leaving her to crash was not an option. Since it was obvious that Barnette couldn't eject to safety, he would have to make certain that she landed with the least amount of impact as possible. Though various warning lights were blinking all over his console, he fired off his back thrusters at full throttle, in an attempt to catch up with Barnette's Van-Type. With less than one hundred meters to the desert sands, Duero's fighter grabbed onto Barnette's and held it close. Twisting around so that his machine was between her and the ground, he fired off his back thrusters at maximum and braced for impact. 

Duero's machine landed hard on its back and startled skidding across the desert. Barnette's machine slammed down onto Duero's Vanguard, and the doctor felt as if he was the filling of a steel sandwich. However, his efforts to save her were not in vain, as he had slowed her down enough for her mecha to land intact. Barnette's Van-Type made a horrid screeching noise as it slid off the chest of Duero's and continued to travel an additional seventy feet across the desert before finally coming to a halt, rolling onto its back and propped up against a sand dune. Duero's machine came to a stop some fifty feet beside hers. 

The physician let off a sigh of relief, but knew that he still had to get Barnette out of her fighter immediately. Reaching upwards, he grabbed hold of the emergency escape lever and pulled, causing the top portion of the cockpit to be blown off, without activating the ejection seat. Scrambling out of his Vanguard, he looked about and saw that Barnette's downed fighter was beginning to emit smoke and sparks. He started smelling fuel and realized that she was just moments away from being incinerated. 

_Damn! I've got to get her out of there before it blows!_ Looking down at his cockpit, he immediately kicked out one of the emergency panels, exposing a small fire-extinguisher. Reaching down, he pulled the device out, jumped down to the ground, and sprinted towards Barnette's Bangatta. Climbing up on the body of the humanoid fighter, he made his way to the chest area. The metal was heating up and the physician used the extinguisher's fire retardant foam to cool it down. When he found the emergency hatch release, he gave it a sharp pull. Gears groaned in protest as the chest split open to reveal an unconscious Dread pilot. There were various metal frame support rods that had been bent around her body, possibly during the crash, which formed a kind of cage, trapping her inside the cockpit.

Duero knew that he had perhaps fifteen to twenty seconds before the Vanguard exploded, and he couldn't bend or break those rods to free her in time. Then he looked at the top of the cockpit and remembered that there was a certain something inside a hidden panel that could help. Throwing away the extinguisher, he reached up and undid the latch. The panel swung down, revealing a Tarak assault rifle. Quickly grabbing it, he saw that it was fully loaded and ready to fire. Moving the selector switch to AP (armor-piercing), he then aimed carefully and fired. 

_**BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! **_

Four shots later and the moorings of the support rods fell away, letting Barnette's limp body slump forward. Throwing the rifle far off to his right, he leaned into the cockpit and pulled the girl out of her seat. Slinging her over his shoulder, Duero prepared to make a break for it. That was when he heard a warning sound from the cockpit, which he instantly recognized as the internal fire alarm. Explosion was imminent. With about ten seconds to spare, Deuro jumped down to the ground and ran as fast as he could with Barnette slung over his shoulder like a gunny sack. With adrenaline pumping, he managed to get about twenty-one yards from the craft before it went up in a ball of flame. Tarak engineers had designed the Van-Types to self-destruct within a contained explosion of forty yards in diameter. Duero and Barnette had just made it. 

The doctor collapsed facefirst on to the desert sands, letting Barnette roll onto her back beside him. He then looked back to where he and Barnette had narrowly escaped death. The Bangatta burned like a Tarak funeral pyre, and the healer was glad that it wasn't theirs.

----------

End of flashback... 

Barnette was in a state of total shock as Duero finished with his tale. 

"After the Van-Type had burned itself out, I started gathering as much materials and supplies as I could. Luckily, the storage units of your Vanguard were intact, so I got a hold of some rations and survival gear. Along with the things I got from my fighter, I set up camp and... well, here we are." Duero had purposely left out what had happened before his patient had awakened. 

"I... don't know what to say." Barnette began as she realized that Duero had again risked his own life to save hers. "I... wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you." 

Duero gave her a lopsided smile, then shrugged. "It's all right. As a doctor, it's my duty to ensure the safety of my patient above my own. Furthermore, You're a very capable Dread and Vanguard pilot. The Nirvana cannot afford to lose you. We're comrades on this journey and it's been my policy never to abandon a friend. You would have done the same for me. Now we better get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us." 

Barnette became shaken at Duero's words as he lay himself down to sleep, with his back turned to her, (of course). Long after the healer had drifted off to sleep, the girl was still wide-awake as she kept on hearing Duero's words in her head. 

_You would have done the same for me... Would I have really have done what he did?_ Barnette remembered back to what he had done, which included dropping a stalactite on Saber's head, carrying her out of a collapsing mesa, pushing her out of the way of Saber's Anti-Voltekker, and if his story was true, cushioning her mecha during the crash, and pulling her out of her exploding Vanguard. To think that she now owed a man her life FIVE times! And what did she do to repay him? The girl winced as she remembered hitting him with the butt of her pistol. She started to feel a little guilty, and made a note to apologize in the morning. 

----------

Early morning... 

Duero awoke just before the rising of the first sun, and walked out of the tent. The skies were clear and the air was still cool, but the Tarak man knew that it was going to get very hot, and soon. He had to be mentally and physically prepared, especially since he had someone who was going to depend heavily upon him. 

Barnette was a strong individual, and was in good physical condition, but she was without the technology that she spoke highly of during her last examination. She had absolutely no experience in dealing with harsh climates, such as this desert world, and it was even harder to face with no technological edge. She was going to need all the help that he could provide. 

Living all his life on Tarak, Duero was well aware of the dangers that they would face. And without any scientific aid, he would have to use the survival skills and knowledge he had learned in his youth. Food, protection from the heat, and especially water, were top priority and considering how little they had for provisions, he was going to have to be... creative. 

Taking a deep breath, he began focusing his mind and body for the trials that lay ahead of them. He took a ready stance, then began a series of practice katas to work out the stiffness in his body and prime himself. He had been training in the martial arts with Slade for two months, and had begun ki manipulation a mere fortnight ago. The Tekkaman had been impressed with Duero's progress and it was apparent that the doctor had some considerable hidden talent. 

As the first sun peeked out over the horizon, Duero noted its position, and remembered back to the data he had scanned about the planet, before he had embarked on the rescue mission, which had become a test for survival.

----------

At that moment, Barnette awoke and emerged slowly from the tent. She was glad to be feeling no pain, and had to admit that the doctor had done an excellent job in tending to her injuries. At that moment, she noticed a soft blue light, flickering just outside the makeshift shelter. As she peeked out from behind the entrance, her eyes widened as she beheld Duero. 

Throughout most of her life, she had steadfastly believed that men were uncouth, clumsy and crude creatures that didn't understand the concepts of subtlety and grace as women did. Of course, she had been proven wrong time and time again, when Slade started demonstrating skills such as singing, playing music and even _COOKING_! Now she was further astonished to see a man from Tarak move with... elegance.

Barnette became mesmerized, as she followed each of Duero's movements as he continued to go through his morning exercises. His lean and well-toned body was like a predatory cat's, swift and fluid, yet hinting at raw power that was just waiting to be unleashed. His punches and kicks were similar to what she had seen with Slade during his training sessions, and correctly guessed that the physician had been taking lessons from him. Apparently, he was a quick study, as he mimicked many of the complex maneuvers with little to no difficulty. She also noted that he was doing it all while keeping his eyes closed. What caught her attention the most was that every now and then, a thin shimmer of pale blue light would surround him, highlighting his form against the light of the first sun, which was the red giant.

The Dread pilot's heartbeat began to increase in rhythm and she wondered why she... liked seeing him in motion. She angrily fought down those feelings. This was not how a woman from Mejele should act! The very concept of a male being even remotely attractive to a female was ridiculous! 

However, she kept on watching him, not saying a word; for fear that it might interrupt the raw elegance of the scene.

----------

Duero already knew that he had an audience. His sessions with Slade had heightened his sense of awareness of his surroundings, but he kept his eyes closed as he neared the end of his katas. The physician had found that the practice motions were excellent ways to gain mental and spiritual focus, as well as limber up one's body for the day. Finally, as the red giant was just clearing the horizon and the temperature slowly started to rise, he ended his exercises in a wide-legged stance with his hands held out in front of him as if praying. His aura gave off a final flash of light before he opened his eyes and looked back at Barnette. 

The test of survival had begun. 

----------

Meanwhile... 

"Aw, c'mon Mr. Alien! We _SAID_ we were sorry!" Dita pleaded as Slade continued to work in silence on Pegas. His back was turned to both girls. 

The Tekkaman took a deep breath, then sighed as he turned to face them. "I told you before to forget about last night. I'm not angry with either of you, but I _DON'T_ want to talk about it! Now did you take stock of what we have to work with?"

Jura nodded. "We managed to pull the homing beacon out of Dita's Vanguard. It's still working, but it's not being received by the Nirvana. It's probably because of that barrier Saber put up." 

Dita nodded. "We've gotten all the survival gear from my Vanguard and Jura's, though there wasn't much of it left that we could salvage. Saber really did a number on it when he crashed into it." 

"How about food and water?" 

"Well... if you count those pills as food, we've got maybe seven to ten days worth. As for water, we've only got enough for three days at best." 

"You will be able to cook another lizard for us tonight, right?" Jura asked hopefully. "You'll be able to get us some more water too, won't you?" 

Slade was a bit surprised that Jura was now willing to consume alien iguanas, since the night before she was unwilling to go near one. He nodded as he replied. "I'm pretty sure I could scrounge up one or two, but you better be prepared to eat those pills. I know those things taste like crap, but believe me, eating them is _LOT_ better than slowly starving to death. The men of Tarak have been eating them all their lives and they're fine." 

"What about water?" Dita inquired. 

"Well... I've seen a few green plants so there's got to be some sources of water around here. Before we left the Nirvana, the doc and I looked at the preliminary scans of this planet, and found that there were a few hidden springs and oasis scattered about the area we're in. However, they're pretty far off and would probably take about a day or two to reach them on foot." 

"We don't have to!" Jura insisted. "We've got Pegas and he could fly us to them! In fact, we can use Pegas to go look for Duero and Barnette!" 

"Whoa! Slow down there. I've got some bad news for you about Pegas." Slade interjected. "I've did a full-systems check on him and Pegas nowhere near working at 100%. The EM interference is messing up his navigational systems as well as his energy sensors. We'd be flying blindly all over the desert looking for Duero and Barnette. And then there's that barrier and dampening field of Saber's. Not only is the field stopping me from transforming, but also it seems to be having some kind of effect on the Tekkabot's power systems. He can go about fifty to sixty kilometers, tops before having to shut down and recharge his power cells. Using his weaponry will drain him even faster." 

"We're not going to abandon Mr. Doctor and Barnette are we?" Dita asked with concern. 

"No, we are not!" The Tekkaman said with determination. "We may not be able to get them right away, but we are definitely _NOT_ giving up on them. First thing we have to do in increase our water and food supplies, then we try to solve Pegas' power problems so we can go search for them. From what I saw, they were sent off by Saber's Anti-Voltekker that way." He pointed in a northern direction. "I don't know how far, but I'm willing to guess that it was at least a couple hundred miles." 

"Do you think they're all right?" The redhead inquired. 

"Of course they're all right!" Jura said with confidence. "If I know Barnette, then she's probably looking for us right now. She's tough and it will take more than a little desert to stop her." 

"Well... actually, I would say that Duero has a better chance of surviving out there than Barnette. I'm not being insulting to your friend's skills or anything, but..." 

"What do you mean, Mr. Alien?" 

Slade paused before answering Dita. "Well, it's not because Duero's a man, that I believe he'll survive. It's because of what he has endured all his life. Just think about it. We're talking about someone who comes from a world that's just as hostile, if not more so than this one. Duero's ancestors didn't have much technology when they founded Tarak. They didn't have the comforts and advantages that the women of Mejele enjoyed. They had to rely on what they brought with them, and their own instincts. Judging from what I saw when I was on Tarak, they did a pretty good job. Their technology may not be as advanced or the food as tasty as what you have, but they withstood _EVERYTHING_ that their planet could throw at them. Trust me, Duero's a survivor, and I'm pretty certain that he's looking out for Barnette." 

_Though I have a feeling that Barnette is not going to like it._

----------

Three hundred miles north... 

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T WASH UP?!_" 

Barnette had been all set to apologize for hitting him when her traveling companion dropped that bombshell. 

Duero shook his head as he stowed away the precious canteens of water into his pack. "I'm sorry, Barnette. We've got to conserve as much water as we can, at least until we can find some more." It was nearing mid-morning and the temperature was already hitting the upper eighties. The tent had been quickly and efficiently taken down and was now compressed into a small bundle in Duero's pack. Slung over his shoulder was his rifle and medical satchel. 

"But I always take a shower in the morning!" The brunette complained. "In this heat, I'm going to sweat and... smell!" 

Duero was silent for few moments, and then replied. "We have an old saying on Tarak. In the desert, you can save your water and live as a smelly _LIVE_ man, or waste your water and be a clean _CORPSE_ for the scavengers to pick. I'm certain that going without a bath for a few days won't kill you." 

"Don't you men take baths on Tarak?!" 

"Of course we do, but since water is a precious resource, we only take short showers to clean ourselves. We don't have luxuries like your... what were they called again? Ah yes, we don't have things like Jacuzzis. To us, getting clean is simply getting the dirt off. When there was a water shortage, then we ration our supplies for drinking and medicinal purposes." He then reached behind into his pack, pulled out a large, square piece of cloth and handed it to her. 

"What's this for?" 

Duero demonstrated by taking out another bandanna and wrapping it about his head, covering the top completely. "In this kind of heat, it is best to keep your head covered at all times. Sunstroke is not something to joke about." 

After tying down his head protection, he then pointed in a direction. "We better get going. It's not good to be out in the open like this. The sooner we find more water, and our friends, the safer we'll be." 

Barnette growled a bit, and then reluctantly wrapped the cloth about her own head. She hefted her own pack onto her back, and then slung her rifle over her right shoulder before following the doctor's lead.

"Why can't we just stay in one place and wait until they find us?" 

"Two reasons." The physician replied without looking back. 

"Which are?" The Mejele female pressed. 

"Number one, we have only enough water to last us for a few days, a week if we can stretch it. We have to go look for more. As I recall from the data concerning this planet, there were some springs located in areas north of the mesa where we encountered Saber. I also remember from the geographic data that there was a river that was some two hundred miles north of that same mesa. Number two, the closer we are from where we were blown away, the easier it will be for Slade and the others to find us." 

Barnette hated to admit it, but Duero's reasoning made sense. "So how do you know which way is the mesa? It all looks the same to me in any direction and you don't have any navigational computers or even a compass!" 

"A compass won't work on this planet since the magnetic fields are too unstable. Besides, the EM interference has made any other navigational devices useless. Fortunately, I took a bearing reading before we crashed, and I know that we were blown north from the mesa, so all we have to do is head south." 

"How do you even know that you're going south?!" 

The healer simply tapped the left side of his head. "The suns rose in the east on this side of my face. We are facing south, aren't we?" 

Barnette was stuck dumb with his simple and straightforward answer. 

---------- 

A few hours later... 

Barnette was _NOT_ happy. 

It was hot, but she couldn't do anything about that. She was sweating and smelling bad, but she couldn't do anything about that either. Her deodorant and anti-perspirant had been in her Vanguard when it blew up. She was starting to develop sunburn and the doctor had warned her that her regular clothes left too much open skin to the blistering rays of the three suns. He had offered her some Tarak sunblock lotion, but the prideful girl from Mejele refused to take it. She stated that it smelled bad and looked like sludge, never mind the fact that she didn't smell like roses at the moment. Her feet were aching, as her boots were not suited for long-distance hiking. The soles and sides were thin, which allowed the heat of the sand to be partially transmitted through. This also meant that any sharp foreign objects, and more importantly fangs, claws and stingers could pierce those boots. Many men on Tarak had died, due to being stung or bitten by poisonous desert creatures that had been able to penetrate their footwear. As a rule, good strong boots with thick sides and soles were a must when venturing out into the wilderness. 

Duero had a spare pair of combat boots with thick soles that Barnette could have used. They were oversized for her slender feet, but stuffing the extra space with cotton and gauze would have fixed the problem. However the girl refused them. She said that she rather burn her feet than wear that unfashionable, ungainly and heavy footgear. At the rate she was going Barnette wasn't going to _HAVE_ any feet to stand on by the end of the day. The doctor was prepared to treat the inevitable blisters and swelling that she was going to receive. 

The physician was often mystified at the obsession that females seem to have about enhancing their own appearances and prestige, often at the cost of common sense. Granted that certain applications of make-up did make them more pleasant to look at, but one could only take vanity so far before it became more troublesome than it was worth. He had talked to Gascogne, and the head supplier had related to him the same story that she had told to Slade, as to why the Mejele Pirates had been formed. Like Slade, Duero couldn't understand why anyone would waste so much energy for a garden of flowers that an entire residential section had to be shut down. Now he was getting a close look at Mejele mentality in which Barnette was refusing the sunblock and boots, simply because they looked ugly to her. He also suspected that it was out of pride that she was refusing help from a man. Apparently, she wanted to show him that she was just as tough as he was. 

Her spirit was admirable, but the doctor knew that she needed help. Already, her pace was slowing down and he could tell that her feet were getting sore. She was just not used to this kind of climate or terrain. 

As the two made their way past several dunes and the ground began to level off, Duero began to see something suspicious ahead of them. He stopped walking and surveyed the ground some ten meters in front of him. There were some slight, but odd-shaped mounds scattered about and a few depressions that seemed out of place. 

"What now?" Barnette asked irritably. Things couldn't possibly get any worse. 

"Hmmm..." The physician contemplated for a long, while, then motioned for her to follow him as he turned to his right.

"Where are we going? I thought we needed to head south?" 

"We do, but I don't like this area. I'll tell you why after we've circled around and..." 

"Oh, we don't have time for this!" The impatient girl snapped as she moved on ahead. "You said that the faster we find the others, the better! Well I'm not going to take the long way around!" 

As she stomped forward, Duero immediately noticed that a few of the mounds had begun shifting, as if in response to Barnette's movements. When he saw something poke out from beneath the sands, he immediately dropped his pack and medical bag, unslung his rifle and shouted out. 

"BARNETTE!" 

_**CLICK! **_

"_WHAT DO YOU... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_" 

A high-pitched roar was heard as a huge worm-like beast, suddenly exploded forth from the sands and lunged at the Mejele girl. Barnette backed off, but with the weight of her pack and gear making her top-heavy, she stumbled backward and fell on her bottom. In that instant, she was momentarily paralyzed with fear and didn't even think about the rifle she had with her. 

The thing was about ten meters long, two meters in diameter, and resembled a grotesque Horn of Plenty, but with razor-sharp teeth that ringed its circular mouth (1). Just as it was about to make a meal out of Barnette, a shot rang out, followed by several more. The monster was struck in its head, causing it to screech in pain. A moment later, its head burst into flame as Duero's incendiary rounds ignited its flesh and primitive brain. The decapitated body fell heavily onto the sands, as the putrid odor of burning alien sandworm was emitted. However, the danger was not yet over. 

Just as Barnette had snapped back to reality, something else came out from the desert surface. Two long, slimy appendages, with several spines attached to their ends, snaked out and wrapped themselves around her right leg. She screamed out as the spines easily pierced through her boot. Then she felt a numbing sensation travel up her leg. She became more alarmed as her body became limp and unresponsive. She was unable to grab hold of her rifle. It was at that moment that another giant sandworm emerged and she saw to her horror that the appendages were actually coming from its mouth! Several shorter versions of the disgusting tentacles emerged from its maw and writhed about. The monster began rearing back and pulled in its first two appendages... with Barnette along with them! The girl began to feel like a helpless fish that was caught on a line and was being reeled in! The problem was that she didn't care for the fisherman! Fortunately for her, Duero didn't care for the fisherman either. 

Seeing that she was unable to move, Duero took careful aim, and let off two shots, severing the tentacles and freeing Barnette. The creature let off a roar of pain as its two primary limbs were reduced to bloody stumps. A moment later, it was pierced through its brain by more of Duero's incendiary rounds. It too fell to the ground in a smoking heap. 

Knowing that there were probably more of those giant worms underneath, he set his rifle to full automatic and sprayed the areas around his companion. He used all the types of ammunition that was available, especially the AP/HE mix. The ground became littered with spent cartridge cases and bloody worm parts as Duero fired continuously, pausing only to change clips. 

Barnette was more than impressed as she watched Duero systematically eliminate the horrors. Every shot found its mark. She had no idea that the normally quiet doctor was so proficient with firearms. What held her attention the most was the hardened expression on his face. He looked so rugged and seemed to emit a kind of feral magnetism that made her... 

_WHAT AM I THINKING?!_

With one final shot, the last of the vile creatures was blown to gory pieces. The doctor stood in silence with his gun held out in readiness. For several moments, he waited for a sign of any danger. When he was certain that there were none, he quickly ran over to where Barnette still lay immobilized. 

----------

Much later... 

Duero nodded as he assessed Barnette's condition. It had taken several hours, but she was finally able to move her limbs on her own, albeit slowly and with very little strength. He estimated that she would fully recover by the next morning. Fortunately for her, the giant sandworm's venom had only caused paralysis to her voluntary skeletal muscles and not to any of her vital autonomic systems such as breathing and heart beat. With some Tarak anti-toxins that the good doctor had in his bag, the Dread pilot was able to fight off the effects of the worm's paralyzing tentacles. He had also treated the blisters on her feet and stopped all infections. Her skin was red and sensitive, due to the effects of sunburn, but Duero had also brought along some soothing lotion to ease her discomfort and speed up her recovery. 

Unfortunately, in order to treat her condition and clean her wounds, Duero had been forced to use up a considerable amount of their water supplies. Unless they could find some more water and soon, they would run out within two days. Furthermore, until Barnette was totally recovered, they would have to stay in one place and that meant that they would lose half a day's worth of traveling time. 

Currently, the two were in their tent, under the shade of a large rock formation that had been weathered by the elements, making it appear as a giant arch. The desert winds were blowing at gentle speeds, but the Tarak man knew from experience that it could be a prelude to a raging sandstorm. That was one of the reasons why he had decided to set up the tent near the arch. It was also because there was a solid foundation of granite beneath the sand around the formation, which ensured that none of the sandworms could come up from below. 

His patient was sitting in one corner of their shelter with her knees brought up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She was trembling slightly and her head was bowed down. Ever since her encounter with the creatures, Barnette had been silent and feeling... humbled for the first time in her life. It was if the attack was a wake-up call of sorts. The reality of her situation had finally been driven into her and she was totally unprepared for it. Her tough girl appearance had been stripped away and revealed the frightened and unsure side of her personality. She had never felt as helpless as she was a few hours ago. In her mind, she could still see that hideous monster pulling her toward its gaping maw, and she had been unable to do anything about it. If it weren't for Duero, she would have been devoured. 

"Barnette?" 

The girl was snapped out of her reverie as she looked at the man who was sitting nearby and gazing at her with a concerned expression. The Mejele girl just couldn't figure out this man. He was a living enigma, like Slade. From the moment they had met, she had treated him shabbily, and yet he still cared for her safety and well being. Not once did he ever say a harsh word to her. He had treated her with the same respect that he gave to all the members of the Nirvana. And now, he had saved her life not once, but many times. Yet he asked for nothing in return, and had not even mentioned the incidents. 

Why? Why didn't he act the way a man from Tarak was supposed to act? They were supposed to be crude, stupid, ignorant savages, inferior to women in all ways. That's what she had always believed. She had eventually discounted Slade from that stereotype since he was not from Tarak. However, Duero had been born and raised on that planet of men, so why didn't he fit into that category? Until recently, Bart Garsus had fit perfectly into that description. 

Duero was intelligent and his knowledge about medicine would have been considered top notch on Mejele. His personality reflected that of refinement and discipline. His mind was logical, yet at the same time, creative. There was no doubt about his courage, which was a far cry from the belief that all men were cowardly. Finally, his words from the night before came back to her. 

_... it's been my policy never to abandon a friend._

"Barnette?" The physician said again, trying to get her attention. It seemed as if her mind was a billion light years away. 

Finally, she responded to him in the quietest of whispers. "Why?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Tell me why." She said in a stronger voice. 

"Why what?" Duero became puzzled at her cryptic question. 

Barnette lifted her head and her eyes shimmered with moisture. The healer was quite shocked to see the tough Dread pilot actually on the verge of... tears? 

"After all that I've done to you... after everything that I've ever said about men and you..." At that point, she was unable to hold back as a lone tear trickled down her right cheek. "... why do you consider me... as someone that you'd risk your life to save? Why do you consider me as... your friend?" At this point, her voice started cracking. 

Duero caught onto the meaning of her words and did not answer for a long while. After several minutes of silence, aside from the sound of the wind currents howling outside of the tent as they picked up speed, he finally said, "I think of you as my friend... because I don't consider you... as my enemy." 

The simplicity of his answer struck a chord deep within her as her soul was shaken to its core. Then she reacted... 

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!_" 

Before Duero knew it, Barnette was leaning against him and embracing him with as much strength as she could muster in her weakened condition. She buried her face into his hard-muscled chest and cried harder than she had ever done in her life. The physician found himself at a loss of what to do with a weeping female. As she continued to cry her heart out, the healer decided that she needed to let it all out to deal with the traumatic experience she had with the worms. He let his own arms encircle her and give her the comfort that she needed. Instead of pulling away as he had expected, she instead brought herself closer to him and continued to cry. 

---------- 

Back at the other camp... 

"I hope Barnette and Mr. Doctor are okay." Dita said as she listened to the sandstorm that was raging outside of the tent. 

After discovering a hidden spring of fresh water near the collapsed mesa, and stripping the two wrecked Vanguards for spare parts for Pegas, Jura, Slade and Dita had settled down for the night. Pegas was currently shut down and regenerating its main power core. The three were using the Tekkabot's supplementary stores of energy to power the heater and to cook dinner. They couldn't begin to search for their missing comrades in the storm at night, so they were forced to wait until morning. 

"I sure that they're fine." Slade said as he continued to warm their evening meal. "So how do you like your lizard? Medium or well-done?" 

---------- 

On the other side of the wastelands... 

After crying her heart out and feeling a little better afterwards, Barnette and Duero faced each other and began to have a long-overdue talk. 

"I'm... sorry." 

"For what?" Duero asked in surprise. 

"For hitting you... for insulting you... for ignoring your advice... Hell, for just about everything I ever did to you, especially after all the times you saved my life. I really messed up, didn't I?" 

"No, I wouldn't say that." 

Barnette shook her head. "I would. It was because of me that you had to use up three magazines of ammunition and more than half of our water." 

"Well, that was unavoidable..." 

"No, it could have been avoided if I hadn't been so stubborn and stupid!" 

"Well, I'll admit that you were stubborn and you could use some lessons in patience, but I wouldn't call you stupid. We're all capable of learning, if we are willing. You just made a few errors in judgement and... had to learn the hard way. However, you did learn from your mistakes, so it wasn't a total loss." 

"It was a big enough loss." Barnette maintained as she felt like crying again. "We don't have enough water for the both of us. You should just leave me here and get back to the others. I'd only be slowing you down and causing you more trouble. I don't even know why you've put up with me for so long." 

"Now stop right there." Duero said with a firm tone. "I told you before that abandoning a friend is _NOT_ an option. We _WILL_ get through this situation, Barnette." 

"I don't see how we can. I don't know squat about surviving in the desert and without technology..." 

"McFile Survival Rule Number One." Duero interrupted. 

"What?" 

The doctor nodded. "Don't dwell over what you _DON'T_ have, and work with what you _DO_ have. We still have water, so we're not dead yet. We still have ammunition, so don't worry about that either. You may not know much about survival in the desert, but you _DO_ have someone who can teach you." 

"You'll... teach me?" 

Duero nodded again. "Provided of course, that you can keep your temper and your pride in check, and learn from a man." 

The Dread pilot was about to respond to that jab, but realized that he was testing her. Keeping in mind, her near-fatal lesson in humility, she nodded. 

"McFile Survival Rule Number Two. Nature is rarely, if _EVER_ kind. It's something that you do not have any control over. You will die if you fight it, but you can work with it. Your encounter with those giant worms was nature's way of telling you to respect and follow its laws. It doesn't care what you look like, or where you came from. When you're in its backyard, then you are no better than the other animals and plants. Every living thing is given the chance to live, but at the same time, everything is given an equal opportunity to die." 

Barnette shuddered as she recalled how close she had been to becoming worm food. 

"McFile Survival Rule Number Three. _NEVER_ judge solely on appearances. I learned early in my youth that what I looked like didn't matter as long as I was alive, for I could always wash up later. It would be best for you to drop these notions of vanity, because they're not going to help you. The predators and scavengers out there don't care if you're the most beautiful or ugliest prey on the planet. To them, food is food. Furthermore, just because something looks, tastes or smells bad, doesn't mean that it's useless." He then reached into his pack and pulled out the spare boots and a tube of Tarak sunblock. He placed the items in front of Barnette. 

The Mejele female silently took the offerings and nodded. If she had been wearing the boots in the first place, then the sandworm's spines wouldn't have penetrated and paralyzed her. Furthermore, she wouldn't be nursing a bad case of sunburn if she had put on the sunblock. She placed the boots and sunscreen off to one side and gazed back at the doctor, expecting to be chided again, which she deserved for her blunders. 

However, the physician gave her small smile. "Don't think I'm being cruel by pointing out your mistakes. I'm only telling you what you need to know for what lies ahead. I'm going to be truthful. We've got a long, hard journey ahead of us and at times, you will be tempted to just give up and die. This is going to be worse than anything you've ever faced before, and if you lose, you lose for good. Do you understand?"

Jura's friend nodded without hesitation. "As long as you're there to teach me, then I can do this... even without technology." 

Duero smiled again as he began rummaging about in his pack. He took out a box of Tarak rations and offered some to her. Barnette shook her head, saying that she wasn't hungry and that they could save them for later. After taking a few pills and putting the rest back into his pack, Duero was surprised when Barnette suddenly said out of the blue... 

"Tell me about yourself, Duero." 

"Hmmm?" 

"I want to know more about you." 

"You've... never asked me about my life before." 

"Well, I'm asking now. Do you realize that we've served together on the Nirvana for more than eight months now?" 

"Eight months, two weeks and three days, not counting the last two days, since we're technically not on the Nirvana." Duero corrected with a smirk. 

Barnette giggled lightly at the quip, then continued. "And throughout all that time, I don't know anything at all about you, except for the fact that you're one _HELL_ of a doctor and that you're a..." Her voice trailed off as she felt a bit ashamed. 

"A man?" He guessed. 

She nodded. "Where did you learn to shoot like that? How did you learn to survive in the desert? Why did you even bother to help the enemy of your planet when we first met? Just... who are you, Duero McFile?" 

The physician said nothing for a very long time, then finally smiled while nodding as began to tell his tale... 

---------- 

Meanwhile, hidden in one of the meteoroids that was orbiting the planet... 

Saber grumbled as he continued to float in the suspension tank. It would take several days before the internal damage to his body was fully repaired. However, with Slade trapped on the world below and the Nirvana unable to reach him, the red Tekkaman could afford to wait. Soon he would regain his full strength and once he got the secret of evolving into the penultimate form of the Tekkaman Power System, then there would be no one in the cosmos that could stand against him! And should be unsuccessful in his goal, then no one else will have the power. He had a contingency plan to ensure that Slade would perish and take the secret with him. 

To be continued... 

Author's Notes 

Wow! Another long episode done. In part 3, we will have the conclusion of the Survival of the Fittest story arc as Duero's past is told, as well as a dramatic change in Barnette. These two will have to work very closely together if they intend to escape Saber's trap, along with Slade and the others. See you then! 

(1) Think of the Dungeon Worm from Yugi-Oh. 


	8. Chapter 5, Part 3: Survival of the Fitte...

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

DISCLAIMER: Yeah, yeah, I know! Tekkaman Blade, Ranma 1/2 and Vandread don't belong to me, so lay off the lawsuits, okay? 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 5**

**Survival of the Fittest**

**Part 3**

The Engineering Section of the Nirvana... 

_There's **GOT** to be a way through that shield! I just know it!_

The head engineer of the pirate vessel had been working nonstop for two days, ever since they had lost contact with the Vanguard landing party. She had been trying without success to penetrate the energy barrier that surrounded the planet below. However, she had been unable to scan the shield and couldn't even determine if Duero or the others were still alive on the surface. 

Time was running out for her as the captain and her first officer had given her a deadline.

----------

A few hours ago... 

"What? We can't just abandon them!" Parfat protested as Magno had announced a time limit for her to get through Saber's energy barrier, or at the very least, determine whether or not the Vanguard landing party was alive... or dead. 

"None of us like the idea any more than you do." Magno said as she, Buzom, and Gascogne were in the Conference Room with the bespectacled mechanical genius. "However, we are faced with a crisis. I have the safety of the crew to consider and our mission to warn our world and Tarak of the impending Harvest from the Earth. Furthermore, if we remain in orbit too long, then we put ourselves in danger." 

"What do you mean?" 

Buzom took up the explanations. "Despite the high amounts of EM interference, we have begun picking up energy signatures approaching this system... Harvester signatures." 

"The enemy is coming here?" 

"We had Xian Pu's squadron do a recon on the outer edges of this solar system. The EM interference is less intense out there. They began picking up something on their long-range sensors, using the new tachyon transceivers that you had installed. The signals are faint, but we've confirmed that they are from the Earth. We've estimated their strength to be at least twenty Seed Ships, a dozen Sea Urchins, heaven only knows how many Cube Fighters... and one flagship." 

Parfat shuddered at the thought at encountering another of those behemoths. 

"They're heading toward our position, albeit at a slow rate. They're probably having as much trouble navigating as we did because of all the asteroid fields we passed to get to here. The closer they get to this solar system, the more intense the EM interference becomes, so we're hoping that we will be harder to pinpoint. We estimate they will be within scanner range in forty-eight hours." 

"Two days? But... I need more time! We've only just started to determine the outer wavelengths of the barrier! It'll take at least a day to pinpoint the power source and another two to come up with a countermeasure strong enough to get through the shield and destroy it!" 

"By that time, the enemy will be on top of us, if not sooner." Buzom reminded. "Remember how reduced our defensive capabilities are at the moment? The Dreads cannot operate with all this interference and we don't have Slade. The Warrior Squadron is an effective force, but Xian Pu's team can't do it alone, especially against an Earth battle cruiser." 

"We're stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place." Gascogne remarked. "I have all the girls in the Register who can pilot Vanguards on standby, plus some of the Dread pilots. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. We may have to consider... retreat." 

"Captain, we can't just leave Duero and the others on that planet!" 

"And _NONE_ of us have any intention of doing so, unless there is no other option." Magno said. "However, if you cannot get through that barrier and get to our people before the Harvesters come, then..." The aged women's voice trailed off as she sighed deeply. Sometimes being the captain was a _HEAVY_ burden. 

----------

Present time... 

Parfat steeled her resolve as she continued to ponder the problem. 

_Hold on Duero! I'll find some way to get you and the others out of there! I promise! We still haven't gotten to know each other much. There's still so much I want to learn about you!_

----------

Down on the planet... 

"I've... never been asked to talk about myself before. Are you sure you want to know more about me?" The doctor said as he and Barnette sat in their tent. Outside, the sandstorm raged on. 

Barnette gave the doctor a smile and nodded. "It's... not like we have anything else to do in this sandstorm and... well, I'd like to know more about the man who saved my life five times." 

"Six, but who's counting?" Deuro corrected with a slight smile. "Well, if you truly want to know, I suppose my story starts at the Genesis Foundation." 

"Genesis Foundation?" 

"To put it simply, it was one of the birthing factories." 

"Birthing factories?" 

The physician nodded as he explained. "Yes. You see, unlike the women of Mejele, the men of Tarak reproduce by more artificial means. When two consenting fathers decide to have a child, they donate their genetic material, or 'seeds' to be spliced together in facilities called birthing factories. The Genesis Foundation was the first birthing facility to be established when Tarak was founded. The genetic material from couples were gestated in artificial matrices and grown to term. Once properly formed, the babies were then given to one father or both to be raised." 

"You mean... you were... assembled, like a machine?" Barnette was a bit unnerved to hear this. Though she had strived to be tough and independent, she didn't like the idea of being born without the warmth of a mother's arms. 

Duero shrugged. "I suppose you could put it that way, though I have no memory of being born myself. Since men are not... ah, anatomically suited to give birth as you females are, this process of modified cloning was our most viable solution to propagating our race." 

"I see." Barnette then changed the subject. "So what about your ohma and fahma? What were they like?" 

"Well, my Prime and Second were quite dissimilar." 

"Excuse me? What's a Prime and Second?" 

"In your terms, they were my ohma and fahma, respectively. The Prime was the first father, in which I would take his family name. He was considered the head of the household and the one who made all the important decisions. It was he who primarily raised me, hence the term 'prime.' The Second was simply my other father, and he could also take part in raising me, though Seconds do have the option of sharing their seed with others." 

"Huh?" 

"We are a very open society when it comes to choosing... mates. It is our belief that all children of Tarak belong to the population as a whole. Any man can be both a Prime _AND_ a Second. It's sort of like Mejele, in which any woman can be an ohma or a fahma." 

"So, this Prime was the one who mostly raised you?" 

"Yes. His name was Tensen McFile and he was the one who taught me all I know about surviving in the wilderness. If fact, if it weren't for him, I would have never been able to complete my Spirit Trial." 

"What's that?" 

"It happened when I was seven years old. It was an experience, which had changed my life." 

----------

Meanwhile, at the other camp... 

Dita couldn't sleep. Not only was she worried about her missing comrades, but also Mr. Alien was insistent that she and Jura stay on the other side of the tent. Apparently, he didn't want a repeat performance of what happened the night before. 

Lying nearby, but making certain that both girls were not close enough to clamp onto him in their sleep again, the Tekkaman continued to gaze up at the roof of the tent. It had been a hard day with very little to show for it. Well, not quite as they had found an abundant source of water... mostly by accident. 

----------

Flashback... 

Dita gritted her teeth as she pulled out the last component that she could salvage from her ruined Vanguard. With Pegas being the only mecha that was still functional, they would need all the spare parts that they could get. The power pack that she had extracted would provide the Tekkabot with an additional source of energy, thereby increasing its range and allowing Slade to search for Duero and Barnette longer. So far, Slade could only scout as far as forty kilometers from their camp before Pegas' power cells gave out and had to recharge for two hours, before continuing. The Tekkaman was unable to transform, and therefore couldn't go much further. It was just as well, since their food supply was limited and his Radam-derived powers used up tremendous amounts of energy. 

As the redhead dragged the heavy power pack back to camp, she began wondering if her comrades on the Nirvana had abandoned them. She shook her head as she banished that thought from her mind. As long as she maintained her faith in Mr. Alien and her fellow pirates, she would continue to press on. Nothing was going to get her down... 

"_WHOA!_" 

It was at that moment that the ground gave way beneath her. 

----------

Jura and Slade were already running out of the camp when they heard Dita's startled cry. By they time they reached the spot, the Dread pilot was nowhere in sight. 

The blonde Mejele female looked about as she held her Tarak assault rifle at the ready. Her appearance was a bit ragged without the luxuries of the Nirvana and her usual applications of cosmetics, but she had reluctantly accepted the fact that survival took precedent over vanity. And it made her feel better when Slade assured her that she still looked beautiful anyhow. 

"Where's Dita?" She asked as she scanned the area. 

"I'm not sure." Slade said carefully as he too surveyed the last place where the redhead had been. 

"You... don't suppose that those ugly sandworms had...?" Jura gulped as she thought of what might have happened to her comrade. They had encountered those horrid things early on, but Slade had made short work of them with his ki bolts. Since then, they were always careful as to where they stepped. 

"No... I don't think so." The Tekkaman replied, as he saw no indication of a struggle or any of the telltale signs of a sandworm attack. He then gestured to the power pack, which was partially buried in the sand. 

Jura cautiously walked over to it. "Well, if it wasn't a sandworm, then where is she... _EEEEEEEEEEEK_!" 

Just as she came close to the power pack, she suddenly dropped straight down and vanished. 

"Jura!" Slade rushed over, and just as he came to the same spot, he also felt the ground give way under his feet and he was swallowed up by the desert sands. He heard the distinctive sound of hinges as a door that was hidden beneath the sand had opened under his weight. He felt himself falling down some kind of open area. A moment later he heard a splash. 

_SPLASH?_

Turning about in his fall, he saw something shimmering below. He righted himself and used a ki bolt to propel himself to what appeared to be a cavern wall. He managed to rebound off another wall, which gave off a metallic sound as he ricocheted off of it. Twisting and turning, he then came down onto a ledge and stared in amazement. 

In the center of a huge, reservoir of water were two Mejele females, joyously splashing about... in their birthday suits. Both girls had taken off their sweat-drenched outfits and were enjoying the cool liquid as they frolicked about, splashing each other in wild abandonment. 

It was then that they noticed Slade standing nearby, with his back turned and blushing furiously. 

"Hey Mr. Alien! Come on in! The water's great!" Dita waved. 

"Can you believe it? All of this water was right under our noses!" Jura exclaimed. 

Slade was barely listening as he tried to keep _HIS_ nose from gushing out blood. All he could think of was how the water slid off their nubile bodies and that reminded him of that time in the Nirvana's bath area. 

Both girls giggled as they saw how nervous and agitated the normally tough and disciplined Tekkaman was. 

"Oh come on, Mr. Alien! It's okay! Come join us!" 

"Yes." Jura said seductively as she stood up in the waist-high water and bent over a bit. "There's no need to be shy. It wouldn't be the _FIRST_ time we've seen you without your clothes. And you've already seen us, so..." 

_ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!_

----------

End of flashback... 

Apparently, Dita had stumbled onto an underground water reservoir, most likely belonging to the people who had lived on this planet, before the Harvesters had taken them. As a result, the three had enough water to sustain them for at least six months. Jura was especially ecstatic at being able to get herself clean for the first time since being stranded on this world. 

_Well, water's not a problem any more, but I still can't help but think of how Duero and Barnette are doing._

----------

Speaking of whom... 

"So what was this... Spirit Trial?" Barnette asked. 

"I suppose the Spirit Trial could be thought of as a test of manhood." Duero replied. "You see, during the founding of Tarak, the original eight men who had landed on the planet were not exactly prepared to handle the harsh climates and desert wilderness. Water was extremely limited and they would have all perished, were it not for the actions of our leader... Grand Pa." 

"Hmmm..." Barnette was bit irritated to hear that name, as all women on Mejele were conditioned from birth to despise the supreme leader of the men's world. However, she kept her opinions to herself as she indicated for Duero to continue. 

"Well, according to the story, Grand Pa went out alone into the wilderness to find water for his comrades. It is said that he traveled one hundred miles through the desert, braving the predators and the dangers of dehydration. He was near dying, when he came upon a canyon, which is now known as Grand Pa's Pass. It was there that he found the hidden spring, which saved his life. He then brought the water back to the other seven men, saving them as well. From where the Ikazuchi had crashed, the capital city of Telleron was created and our civilization was born."

"That's... interesting, but... what does all that have to do with this Spirit Trial?" 

"Well, you see my family was poor. My Prime and Second were low-level officials and barely able to eke out a living as Second-Class Citizens. The only ones who had less than we did were Third-Class citizens and not by much. One way to improve one's ranking is to endure the harsh military training of the academy as a low-ranking soldier and work your way up. Another way is to _PAY_ your way up. Very rarely does anyone who starts at the bottom in the military, ever achieve a rank of appreciable status, and not too many people have enough wealth to buy their way into First Class. However, with the right political connections, one could boost one's status to First Class. They were considered the elite and strongest of our population, and therefore received the best education, the best medical treatment and so on. If you had someone in the higher ranks, then you were almost guaranteed a promotion to First Class." 

"I take it, your... parents didn't have such connections?" 

"Correct. When I was born, my Prime had determined that I was not going to live like he did. He wanted better things for me. However, neither he nor my Second had the prestige or wealth to assure me of a better life. I would have to work for it. However, there was just one other way for me to become a First-Class citizen... and that was the Spirit Trial. Essentially, it's a tradition in which one had to duplicate Grand Pa's hundred-mile journey through the desert to the hidden oasis at Grand Pa's Pass. I would be given only one day's ration of water, as well as a two-week ration of food pills, which was the same amount that he had taken. He was only armed with a knife, so I too would be given only a knife. There was one more stipulation. The Spirit Trial can only be done... if you are eight years old or less." 

"_WHAT?!_ They make children go off by themselves into the desert?!" Barnette became horrified at the thought of sending children off into the harsh desert, just so they could have a chance of improving their position in society. It was barbaric! 

"They don't force a boy to take the Spirit Trial." The doctor corrected. "It's by choice. It is the belief that if a child can do what Grand Pa did, then he is worthy of being a First Class Citizen." 

"So you did it?" 

"I was scared, I'll admit to it. If it weren't for my Prime, I wouldn't be here now." 

"What's your Prime like?" 

"You could call him... eccentric. He isn't like most men on Tarak. For one thing, he _NEVER_ believed all of those propaganda stories about women being the monsters that sucked out a man's innards and such. It was because of this that he and my Second were frequently at odds with each other before they decided to create a child together. You see, my Second was part of the propaganda ministry, while my Prime was a survivalist instructor. Tensen McFile never believed in anything unless he could see and touch it." 

"A survivalist and an officer of the propaganda ministry?" 

"Well, what can I say? Opposites can attract. However, I never knew my Second since he died... one month before I was released from the Genesis Foundation and given to my Prime." 

"I'm... sorry." 

"It's all right. Since I had never met him, I never developed any feelings for him. Tensen McFile was the only father that I knew while growing up." 

"What... happened to your Second?" 

"He had been attacked by a Shelari and he died from his wounds." 

"What's a Shelari?" 

"It's... kind of like what you had encountered." 

Barnette gulped. "You mean... like a giant sandworm?" 

Duero nodded. "On Tarak, there's a very fierce species of giant, carnivorous worm that can grow as large as twenty meters long and three meters in diameter. The ones you faced must have either been smaller, distant cousins or weren't fully grown yet. Like the Shelari, those sandworms weren't very fast and it seemed that they preferred to ambush their prey by hiding in the sand. When I saw those unnatural mounds and patterns of sand, I suspected that something was in there. However, unlike the worms I destroyed, the Shelari happen to be _MORE_ dangerous." 

"More dangerous?!" Barnette repeated incredulously. There was something more deadly than those horrors? 

"Since Shelari are not very fast, they prefer to hide in the sand or around rock formations, waiting to strike at any prey. Instead of using paralysis tentacles to capture their meals, they instead spit caustic acid, disabling their prey and making their food easier to digest. The acid is also used as a defensive weapon. They possess large mandibles to capture their prey and crush whatever life is left in them. They have dense scales all around their heads and upper portions of their bodies, like protective armor, making them highly resistant to the heat of the sun and small arms fire. Your pistol and submachine gun wouldn't have made a dent in them." 

Barnette gulped again. Her prized antique collection of firearms would have been useless against the predators of Tarak. 

"However, they're not unstoppable." The physician amended. "Tarak rifle shots can pierce their scales and if you use incendiary or high explosive ammunition, you can ignite their acidic body fluids. Once you get through that thick hide, they're quite vulnerable to fire. You can also try going for their softer lower underbellies or wound them in the tail regions where the scales aren't as thick. Most of the time, they keep those areas underneath the ground for protection. And my Prime had shown me how to kill a Shelari with just a knife. That knowledge saved my life during my Spirit Trial." 

----------

Flashback to when Duero was seven years old... 

We see a young Duero making his way slowly through the hot desert terrain. He is around one twentieth of the way toward his goal to Grand Pa's Pass. In one hand was a stick of about five feet in length, which he used as a walking aid. He was wearing a bandanna about his head, a loose-fitting tunic, pants and thick-soled boots. It was the hottest part of the day and already the boy's water supply was at half, which he carried in a large canteen that was in a kind of shoulder pack, along with his pill rations and a few other supplies. 

However, the youth smiled as he came across a patch of green cactus-like plants. On Tarak, they were called Singossa Plants. Where there was green vegetation, there was water. According to his Prime, after removing the spiny needles and opening up the tough outer coating, the plant's water-rich insides would make a refreshing meal and hydrate his body. And the best way to remove the spines was by fire. 

After slicing off several clusters of the prickly plants with his knife, he gathered up some brush for tinder to start a fire. Though he had a set of matches in his pocket, he decided to save them for emergencies and instead rely on the knowledge that his Prime had imparted to him. His father had spent several weeks training his offspring to prepare him for the Spirit Trial. 

Looking about, he didn't see any pieces of flint or anything else that he could use to ignite the brush. He didn't want to use any of his precious matches and began pondering the problem as the hot sun continued to burn down on the desert. 

Snapping his fingers, he reached into his shoulder pack and pulled out a set of binoculars. Each Spirit Trial candidate was given the same equipment that Grand Pa had taken along with him during his journey. As young Duero unscrewed the lenses off, he thought back to the McFile Survival Rule Number One. 

_Don't dwell over what you don't have, and work with what you do have._

Using the two curved lenses together to form a magnifying glass, he briefly looked up at the sun, then nodded as he focused its rays onto the brush he had collected. The light was directed into a tight beam that soon ignited the wood. When the flame was large enough, he began adding more wood for fuel and then the prickly plants. The Singossa spines began burning away as the boy waited in anticipation. When enough of the cactus branches were burned, he put out the fire by throwing sand on it, then began slicing open the plant's charred outside to get at its fleshy insides. He smiled as he dug into it and was rewarded with moist, green sustenance. The taste was quite different from the usual pills he ate for breakfast, lunch and supper, but as his father had told him, foods came in many forms and not just in pills. It was just that with Tarak being such a barren wasteland, condensing the nutrients into pills was by far the easiest solution and required no preparation. Pills could last for years in storage and quite frankly, they were one of the few kinds of food on Tarak that didn't bite back. Like any other world, nature's primary law still stood. It was eat or be eaten. 

One predator in particular was intent on fulfilling that law with Duero in its sights. Buried beneath sands, a little more than fifty feet away, was one of the deadliest beasts on the planet. The Shelari was a juvenile, no more than fifteen feet long. However, its mandibles were fully-grown and were capable of severing a man's head clean off his shoulders. Its acid sacs were primed and ready for use, though it could only spew out a few short streams before having to replenish its supply. It had been waiting for over an hour, observing the boy with its beady eyes poking out from beneath the sands. 

The armored worm had been watching the boy for a while, biding its time. It had been hoping that the small human would come within striking range, but the prey wasn't cooperating. Furthermore, when he had started that awful thing called fire, the worm became even more edgy. Though its thick, upper hide was heat-resistant, the Shelari didn't care to be any hotter than it already was. So it waited, and waited, and waited. 

Finally, when Duero put out the fire and began eating the Singossa plants, the Shelari decided that it wasn't going to wait any longer. If the food wasn't going to come to it, then it would go to the food. The worm hadn't eaten for months and who knows when another meal would show up. It then began slowly sliding through the sands like an eel swimming through water. Gradually, it closed the gap between itself and Tensen McFile's son, and when it came within twelve feet of the unsuspecting boy, it tensed up its body... and lunged. 

----------

End of flashback... 

"What happened?" Barnette asked as she eagerly leaned forward to hear the rest of Duero's encounter with the Shalari. 

"I was just finishing up the Singossa, when I heard a sliding noise behind me and rolled to my left. The Shalari released a stream of acid that just barely grazed my right shoulder, though it felt as if my skin was melting. The worm grabbed onto my right leg, about halfway between the ankle and the knee with its mandibles. It would have bitten off my leg, if I hadn't jammed my walking stick into its head, just below and between the eyes. There's a nerve cluster to a sensory organ in that area that isn't as armored as the rest of its head. Hitting it with enough force causes it to reflexively open its mandibles. I managed to scramble away, but not far enough for it to give up." 

"So then what?" 

"The worm lunged again and spewed out another stream of acid. I managed to deflect most of the stream with my knife, but some of it spattered onto my legs, causing me more pain and slowing me down. The worm was suddenly on top of me, and was trying to bite my head off. It was about ready to dissolve me with more acid as it opened its mouth. That's when I jammed my knife into its mouth and pushed the blade through its skull and into its brain." 

Barnette felt the urge to throw up, as she imagined the image of young Duero fighting for his life against the Shelari. She managed not to lose it and was grateful that she hadn't eaten anything. 

"I'm not certain if it was the blade or the acid that was on it that killed the worm, but as my Prime told me, the Shelari may have tough scales on the outside, but not on the inside." 

Barnette took a deep gulp, then asked, "So... you fought and killed the thing... with just a knife?" 

"Don't believe me?" Duero took off his trenchcoat and showed her an ugly mass of scar tissue on the back of his right shoulder, which indicated where the Shelari's acid had burned him. He then bent down to roll up his right pant leg. There on his shin, was a jagged scar, which showed where the beast's mandibles had clamped onto him. 

"My experience with the Shelari had validated the second of the McFile Survival Rules; Nature is rarely, if _EVER_ kind." 

Barnette was rendered speechless. Unlike her own childhood, in which she had the loving attention of both parents and a stable environment, Duero's near-death encounter during his early years would have left any girl from Mejele shaken and probably traumatized for life. 

"And... even after that, you still went on with the Spirit Trial?" 

Duero nodded. "After killing the thing and tending to my wounds, I realized that Nature had given me a boon to help me on my journey to Grand Pa's Pass." 

"How could being attacked by a Shelari be a boon?" 

"McFile's Third Rule of Survival." The doctor reminded.

----------

Flashback... 

Young Duero assessed his handiwork. His new headgear was hideous, but it would give him added protection against the sun. After decapitating the sandworm and emptying out the contents of the upper skull, the youth had made a crude hat. The hard carapace was an excellent barrier against the blistering heat of the sun. No matter how bad it looked and smelly to boot, the layer of heat-resistant scales would absorb and deflect much of the harmful rays, keeping his own head cooler. He had also managed to tear off and clean a good portion of its upper, scaly hide, in which he fashioned into a crude poncho, for more protection against the sun and from dust storms. 

His own knife's blade had snapped off, soon after he had cut off the hide and head. Duero assumed that the beast's acid had weakened it. Now he was without a cutting tool and a means to defend himself. He then noticed the mandibles from the worm's remnants and nodded. Grabbing hold of his walking stick, and using the remaining edge to his ruined knife, he set about removing the sharp protrusions from the dead animal's lower jaw. 

Five minutes later, he finished tying one of the mandibles to the one end of his walking stick, which now doubled as a primitive spear. The other mandible was to be used as a cutting tool as he wrapped the rounded end with a piece of hide, making a handle. The outer jaws of a Shelari were composed of a kind of crystallized cartilage with trace metals mixed in, making them as hard as diamond. This allowed them to slice through flesh, bone, tendons, wood and even some lesser metals. Very few animals on Tarak could survive being in the grip of those fearsome jaws. Duero considered himself lucky that the Shelari that attacked him hadn't gotten a good grip on his leg. If it had, then Tensen McFile's heir would have become one foot shorter, literally. 

As the afternoon wore on, Deuro decided to rest for a while and let his wounds heal some more before continuing on. Though he had just consumed a large amount of Singossa plants thereby quenching his thirst, his stomach was still not satisfied, and he would need all the energy he could get for the remainder of his journey. He considered the food pills in his shoulder pack, but then gazed at the carcass of the Shelari. 

_Hmmm... now what did my Prime say about food being in more than just pills?_

----------

End of Flashback... 

Barnette turned white and trembled as she realized what Duero had decided to do with the Shelari. She was already feeling a bit queasy after hearing how Duero had skinned the beast and used parts of it as tools and clothing. But he really didn't...? 

"You mean... you...?" 

Duero shrugged. "Well, I couldn't let it go to waste. The top portion was inedible, but my Prime had told me that the lower half was quite filling. There was enough meat to sustain me for the rest of my Spirit Trial. And when you roast it just right, Shelari tastes a lot like that meat that you call pork." 

Barnette grimaced and began regretting ever asking about Duero's past. 

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you've never handled raw meat when you're preparing a meal." 

"That's... different!" The Dread pilot protested. 

"How? You had to have gotten that meat from somewhere." 

Barnette couldn't deny that fact. On Mejele, they had farms that not only grew crops, but also raised livestock via cloning. However, most farming was done mechanically and the women rarely had to do any of the dirty work. Everything was neatly packaged and prepared by the time it reached the markets. Then her eyes widened in realization as Duero's words came back to her. "Wait a minute! Did you say roast, as in cook? You can actually _COOK_?!" 

"I don't see what so surprising about that. Slade can cook." Duero pointed out. 

"I _KNOW_ he can cook, but he's not from Tarak! Are you saying the men from your planet can cook?! I thought they only ate pills." 

"Well, some of us can prepare comestibles, though it usually doesn't involve more than heating, boiling or roasting over an open fire." Duero admitted. "Tarak isn't very abundant when it comes to food. It's far easier for us to consume pills, rather than use up energy and time to prepare a meal. However, my Prime had learned to live off Nature. In doing so, he created Number Four of the Mcfile Survival Rules." 

"What's that?" 

"Always keep an open mind. Don't ever limit your ways of thinking. He imparted all of his knowledge to me, so that I would always have an alternative. That's why I was able to change my diet from pills to the food on the Nirvana so easily. I've eaten both pills and solid food, so it didn't matter to me." 

"So, you can really cook?" Barnette was still in a state of disbelief. 

"Well, I'm nowhere near Slade's caliber of culinary skills... or yours." 

The offhand remark and unintentional compliment made the girl's cheeks slightly pink. 

"However, I've been taking lessons from Slade and he's says I'm getting better. He started teaching me about souffles and says that I have quite a talent for them." 

"Maybe I should try it someday." Barnette suggested with a slight smile. 

The Tarak physician smiled as he lay down for the night. "We better get some sleep. We're going to have to find some more water and it's best if we're well-rested." 

"Wait, you haven't told me about the rest of your Spirit Trial and everything else about you." 

"In time, Barnette... in time..." He replied quietly as he faded off to sleep.

----------

The next morning... 

Barnette slowly opened her eyes as the light of the first sun began filtering through the open front flap of the tent. She heard nothing but gentle breezes, indicating that the sandstorm had long since died down. She was about to rise and prepare for the day when she felt something skittering across her ample chest. Her eyes widened as she stared as a brown, hairy mass of legs, fur and fangs. What was even more unnerving was that the thing was staring back at her! 

The alien desert spider was about the size of a man's fist and had ten, spindly legs supporting a rectangular, two-segmented body. Its beady eyes, all five of them, glittered as it made its way across her cleavage, then stopped over her collarbone. It seemed to be focused on the pulsating veins of her throat and the Dread pilot became VERY nervous as it showed its fangs, which glistened with moisture. She was about to scream as the spider tensed up and was about to pounce on her neck. 

_**FFFFFFFFFTTTTTTT! THOK! THUNK! SQUIRCH! **_

In less than half a heartbeat, a flash of silver came down at an angle from above. The spider suddenly disappeared from the female's line of sight and she then heard a soft impact beside her, followed by the sound of something being punctured. 

Barnette immediately sat up and screamed as she looked about. Her right hand went to her throat to feel for any sign of a bite or blood. Finding none, she let off a sigh of relief, then eeped as she saw that the spider was now impaled in the head with a small bladed instrument. The creature twitched about on the ground for a few moments before becoming still and died. 

Barnette had thought that nothing could make her as scared as she was with that sandworm, but being almost bitten by a grotesque spider came close. She then noticed that she was not alone and turned to the tent entrance. 

Duero looked at her with concern. "Are you all right?" 

Jura's friend swallowed hard and nodded without saying a word. 

The healer smiled. "Good. Now would you mind handing me back my scalpel?" 

At that point, Barnette fainted. 

----------

Later... 

"Where did you learn to throw knives like that?" The Mejele girl as asked as she followed Duero across the sands. She was now wearing the combat boots that he had given to her as well as using the Tarak sunblock. The lotion smelled bad, but it did ward off a good amount of the suns' heat. The shoes were oversized, but were well-padded and kept her feet from burning up. 

"Oh, just another skill that I developed during my youth." The surgeon replied nonchalantly. 

"You've got good aim." Barnette admitted with a bit of reluctance and awe at the same time. "You hit that spider's head dead center." 

"I had a lot of practice during my Spirit Trial and my days at the academy. I had gotten so proficient at throwing sharp objects and slicing my targets, that my colleagues gave me the nickname of Razor." 

"Razor?" 

"That was me. Duero 'Razor' McFile, the only med-school trainee that could perform an initial incision from fifty paces away." He chuckled a bit at the memories. Oh to be carefree and foolish again... 

The Mejele pirate was a bit surprised to learn that even the seemingly drab men of Tarak were capable of having some kind of fun. Since the Christmas party, she had believed that the men had led boring, dismal lives. Her perceptions about the male gender had been changing, the longer she was with Duero. She became even more confused than ever as her childhood hatred of men continued to erode. Were the teachings of the Supreme Lady Grand Ma wrong?

"You were fortunate that spider hadn't bitten you. It was poisonous." Duero remarked. 

Barnette's attention returned to the present. "How did you that thing was poisonous?" 

"When I pulled my scalpel out of its head, I saw the poison on the blade. Its smell and color indicated that it contained toxins that were similar to Sand Stalker venom." 

"What's a Sand Stalker?"

Duero smirked. "The Sand Stalker is another delightful native of Tarak. It's a very nasty species of desert spider with a bite that can kill a full-grown man in two hours. It's not very pleasant when you slowly and painfully slip into cardiac arrest." 

The brunette gulped a bit as she remembered how close that creature had been to her jugular. "Did... you ever encounter those things?" 

"Oh yes. I came across several of them during my Spirit Trial. They make nice, crunchy snacks when you roast them over a fire." 

----------

Meanwhile, up in space... 

Saber became even more impatient. At this rate, Slade may find a way to escape his desert prison before the crimson Tekkaman was fully healed. The former lackey of the Harvesters knew that Slade held the key to the penultimate form of the Tekkaman Power System. 

Saber decided to risk it all by using up his own stores of energy to speed up his recovery. It would cause him great pain in the long run, but the red Tekkaman felt that it would be worth it. Furthermore, he still had a back-up plan to destroy Slade, should he be unable to gain the secret. 

The suspension capsule began to glow as Slade's rival prepared to do battle with him once again.

----------

The Nirvana... 

"Meia, you're going to wear a hole in the floor." Misty said as she watched the Dread leader pace the length of the hanger yet again. 

It had been over two days since the pirates had lost contact with their comrades. Two long and agonizing days of not knowing what happened to them, when that blasted barrier mysteriously appeared and prevented them from landing or even scanning the planet's surface. The aqua-haired Mejele female found herself stuck on the sidelines; a position that she did not care for. 

She had been on combat standby for almost forty-eight hours since the disappearance of the landing party, but due to her claustrophobia, she was unable to pilot one of the remaining Vanguards. Furthermore, the Dreads were badly hampered with the heavy EM interference fields still affecting communication and navigational systems. The large swarms of debris and meteoroids also limited maneuvering space, and the Van-Types were more suited to such confined areas. The Warrior Squadron was on its own. 

Meia had been hoping that Parfat would come up with a solution to the Dreads' problems, so she could join Ukyo and Xian Pu out in space. Unfortunately, all of the engineering staff were concentrating on overcoming the barrier. There was no time to refit the Dreads with the proper shielding to deal with the disruptive fields. Also, with the Harvesters approaching their position, Magno couldn't risk all of her crew in pitched battle with an enemy that was both relentless and merciless. If they could not retrieve the landing party and retreat from the area before the enemy arrived, they their journey may come to a tragic end. 

"I can't stand this!" Meia complained as she continued to walk back and forth. 

"Well, there's really nothing that you can do." Misty said. "You can't use your Dread and you can't pilot a Vanguard. I wish I could fly either one but I don't have the training." 

The Mejele girl sighed in irritation. The concept of being totally useless was both unfamiliar and unwanted. She needed to do _SOMETHING_ about this situation. And the thought of Slade being alone down the planet with Jura and Dita was unsettling as well. 

Over the course of the long journey back to Mejele and Tarak, Meia had come to admire and respect the Tekkaman and all he had to offer. From a strategic standpoint, Slade was the linchpin to their survival against the Harvesters. They wouldn't have gotten as far as they did without him! From a personal standpoint, Slade was... 

The strong-willed girl shook her head. She was not going to be distracted by some silly emotions, especially during this period of crisis. However, whenever she thought about Dita cuddling up to Slade, or Jura using her feminine wiles on him, she had to stifle sudden, unexplained urges to pull out their hair. She continued to pace in silence as time wore on. 

There was only one thing that she could take comfort in. Though the Van-Types were able to operate in this area, they were only good for reconnaissance and temporary defense. They lacked the overall firepower of the Dreads, which was crucial against the enemy, should the Harvesters appear. 

---------- 

The Sick Bay... 

Paiway was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 

Before Duero had become the head doctor, the young nurse trainee had treated three, perhaps four patients at a time, and usually she'd send them to the Jacuzzi to recover. After the Tarak man had taken over, the pirates had realized that his medical expertise was far more reliable and had come to depend on him for all of their health problems. 

Now with the doctor missing, the twelve-year-old was back to where she was before. Only this time, the patients were coming to the Sick Bay in larger numbers and each were expecting her to give them the same kind of treatment that Duero had provided for them. And with only marginal training so far from him, Paiway soon found herself overwhelmed and wishing that he would return. 

----------

Out in space, Xian Pu sighed as she and her wingmate Ukyo patrolled one of the outer sectors. The ranks of the Warrior Squadron were spread out too thin for her taste, but the pirates had no choice. After detecting the Harvester signals, the Bangattas were the first, last and only line of defense for the Nirvana. There would be no Dread backup, should the enemy suddenly appear. 

The Amazon hoped that enemy would not show up until after Slade and the others had returned. Heck, she hoped that the Harvesters wouldn't show up at all. However, wishful thinking was not going to make the situation any better. All she could do was keep scanning and keep the faith, that her intended ohma to her children was still alive. 

In her own Vanguard, Ukyo shared similar thoughts. 

----------

Back on the planet's surface... 

"Mr. Alien! Come look what we've found!" 

Slade shook his head as he prepared to board Pegas to go search for Deuro and Barnette. "Can't it wait until after I come back? Pegas' power stores won't last long and I know that Doc and Barnette are out there... somewhere. I don't have much time to search before the Tekkabot's energy is depleted and it has to recharge. With reduced navigational systems and nearly no sensors, I'm going to be flying almost blind out there." 

"I think you should take a look at what we found." Jura said as she took hold of an arm and began pulling him away from the Tekkabot. "It may help us _FIND_ Duero and Barnette." 

Slade sighed then nodded as he saw the determined look in their eyes. "Okay... just for a minute, then I _HAVE_ to go look for them. So where is it?" 

"Over there." Dita said as she grabbed hold of his other arm and pointed to something in the distance. 

Slade tried to pull away from them, then stopped as he saw a glint of metal. He squinted his eyes and focused on the object. It was spire-shaped and seemed to jut out from beneath the sands. Whatever it was, he was certain that it had not been there the previous day. 

"What is that?"

----------

A few minutes later... 

Slade and the girls stood in front of what appeared to be a long-range, planetary transceiver and sensor array. Apparently, the structure had been buried beneath the sands and had gone unnoticed for who knew how long. The Tekkaman surmised that it had gotten uncovered during the sandstorm. 

"When did you girls come across this thing?" 

"When we went to get water from that reservoir we found." Dita replied. "It was just standing here and we think that it belonged to the people who lived here, just like that giant, underground water tank."

"Makes sense." Slade admitted then noticed that the large apparatus had some thick, corroded cables running from its base and led to another large dune. Slade followed the cables and when he came to the mound, he focused his ki. Rearing his arms back with palms spread, he quickly brought them forward and clapped his hands together. A sudden blast of condensed wind was summoned, which blew away the sand, revealing what was buried underneath. 

"Handy little trick." Jura remarked. 

"Wow! You've got to teach me how to do that!" Dita chirped. 

Slade shrugged his shoulders, then his eyes widened as he saw what had been revealed. On the ground was a large metal plate... and on top of it was a hatch. 

----------

Several hours later, in the desert... 

Barnette knew that they weren't going to last long if they didn't find more water. Due to her injuries and that fact that she was unused to this kind of climate, she was using up more water than Duero. The doctor made no complaints however. Complaining about what they didn't have would serve no real purpose and make the situation worse. He agreed that she needed more water than he did, and as a doctor, his patient's welfare was above his own. It wasn't the first time he went for hours in the desert without quenching his thirst. 

However, despite their predicament, the healer maintained that they would find more water. Recalling from the geographical layout of the areas between themselves and the mesa, Duero knew that some hidden sources of water were nearby. His confidence grew as he sighted some green vegetation, which was a sure sign that the life-giving liquid was around. The only real trick was to get at it. 

Barnette gasped as she realized that her canteen was empty. She gave her companion a guilt-ridden expression and looked as if she was about to cry. "I'm... so sorry, Duero. I didn't mean to drink it all. I was just so..." 

"It's all right, Barnette. Don't think about it. We can fill our canteens here." 

"What?" 

"Look here." He went over to a large, cactus-like plant that was about as tall as he was. Kneeling down, he unslung his rifle and pressed a switch, causing the bayonet to be ejected from its housing. The six-inch blade became a small dagger as he used it to dig into the ground near the plant's base. "This plant has to have a store of water, most likely near its roots, in order to have grown this large." He cut away at the tough, outer layers and sure enough, some cloudy liquid began dripping out. 

"Water!" Barnette cried out. 

Taking out a small package of chemical/bacterial test strips from his medical bag, he assessed the water's purity and composition and nodded. "Not exactly like that fancy bottled water on the Nirvana, but it's safe to drink. Give me your canteen." 

Barnette gratefully handed Duero her water container.

----------

A little while later... 

"Duero?" 

"Yes?" 

"I just wanted to say... that I'm glad that you're here with me. Male or female, I'm... proud that you're the Nirvana's doctor." 

"Uh... thank you." 

"And... to make up for everything that I said and done to you, when we get back to the Nirvana, I'm going to cook you the _BEST_ meal in the galaxy!" 

"I'll be looking forward to it." He then added with a teasing grin, "Just so long as you don't try burn my lips by adding too much hot sauce." 

Barnette's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know about that?" (1) 

Duero merely smiled and said nothing.

----------

Streaking across the desert skies at better than 500 mph, the Tekkabot scanned for human life signs. Inside the cockpit, Slade smiled as his robotic partner was operating at near-peak performance. Thanks to the new additions to its system, which included an energy-field adapter, sensor-boosters and highly efficient solar power cells, the Tekkaman was confident that he would find his missing comrades. He could only hope that they had managed to survive alone in the desert for over two days. 

It had been very fortunate that Dita and Jura had come across that underground bunker and communications station. To their surprise, they found a large amount of electronic equipment in decent condition, and most importantly, insulated and adapted to the EM interference. The former inhabitants had been well equipped to deal with the solar flare activity of their three suns. Unfortunately for them, they had not been prepared for the Harvesters. 

After spending an hour refitting Pegas with the new equipment, Slade had been searching the desert north of the mesa. Back at the bunker, Jura and Dita were trying to figure out how to operate the planetary transceiver consoles in the hopes of contacting the Nirvana. The barrier that surrounded the planet prevented normal communication frequencies from getting through, but with a little luck and some tweaking of the controls, the girls were certain that they could transmit a message through. 

At that moment, Pegas' sensors began registering the telltale signs of human life forms, plus several other non-human readings. It also began picking up energy discharges and violent explosions occurring some fifty miles north of his present position, and close by the human life readings. He immediately opened up the throttle and headed for them.

----------

Barnette knew that this was the end. The good doctor had done all that he could to keep her alive. She would be grateful to him for the rest of her life... all five minutes of it. 

It had been their bad luck to come across more those sandworms. This time however, the two of them were surrounded and running low on ammunition. The worms the doctor had destroyed before were juveniles compared to the monsters they faced now. The huge predators were twice as large and had thicker hides, making them more resistant to penetration by their rifle bullets. The two had been using AP/HE settings and had been firing nonstop. 

The Dread pilot gritted her teeth as her weapon clicked on empty. She reached down toward her belt for another magazine, but found none. She steeled herself to fight to the bitter end as she activated the bayonet to her weapon. A minute later, Duero's rifle also expended its last round. He too took a defensive posture and readied the blade on his firearm. 

The worms, sensing that their intended meals were now defenseless, began to advance toward them. In the lead was an enormous worm that readied its paralysis tentacles for the final attack. 

Standing side-to-side, both combatants tensed up and said what they believed to be their final words. 

"Duero?" 

"Yes, Barnette?" 

"Thank you... for everything. May the Great Mother Spirit of Mejele smile upon your soul in the Afterlife." 

The doctor turned to look at her with a bit of a puzzled look. It was strange for a Mejele woman to give a man from Tarak that kind of touching farewell. What was even more unprecedented was Barnette's next action. 

Without neither any hesitation nor feelings of revulsion, she reached up, placed her right hand behind his head, brought it down... and became the first Mejele woman to kiss a Tarak man! 

The normally intelligent and rational physician was struck _DUMB_ as their lips touched. Though this was hardly the time for such an act, he couldn't bring himself to pull away. If he were to die now, he would have died... happy. 

At that moment, the lead worm lunged toward them and... 

**_KABOOM!_**

The head of the sandworm exploded into a ball of flame as something struck it from above. The other worms went scattering as a deadly rain of energy bolts and projectiles rained down upon them. 

Both Duero and Barnette broke away from each other and looked up. Pegas screamed down toward the sandworms, letting loose with a murderous barrage of laser and cannon blasts. Huge clouds of dust were thrown up as the carnivorous creatures were reduced to smoking piles of ash. Thirty seconds later and the Paksis-enhanced Vanguard came to a soft landing some twenty feet from the pair. Its cockpit opened up to reveal... 

"_SLADE!_" Barnette and Duero cried out as they began running toward the Tekkabot.

----------

In space, Saber's suspension capsule glowed even brighter as the crimson warrior was nearing the end of his recuperation process. 

----------

Later... 

Barnette sighed in contentment as she washed off the dirt and grime she had accumulated over the last two days. She hadn't truly realized how much she had taken for granted the simplest of pleasures, until she was without them. A separate area for bathing and washing purposes had been set up and diverted a portion of the water storage reserves. 

Her best friend Jura was overjoyed to be reunited with her, but she pointed out that her Barnette had gotten 'stinky.' However, the brunette smiled and laughed a bit, surprising the others. She responded, by saying that one can either save water and live smelly, or waste water and be a clean corpse. Behind her, Duero couldn't help but smile. 

As she continued to clean her body, she realized that in her haste to get clean, she had neglected to bring something to dry herself off. All she had were her clothes, which were hanging nearby. Not wanting to get them wet nor put them on until they were washed, she began wondering what to do about this dilemma. 

Luckily for her, someone was still looking out for her. She heard footsteps approaching the bathing area and ducked down into the water up to her neck. She sighed in relief when she saw who it was. 

"Barnette? Are you still in here? I've brought you a towel. You left so quickly to wash up that you forgot to take one with you." 

The Dread pilot smiled... and stood up. 

"Thank you. I was just wondering what I was going to use to dry myself." 

Duero then got a good look at her and suddenly felt hot and uneasy. 

Barnette's figure was slimmer, firmer and more athletic than Jura's. She wasn't quite as... bouncy as the blonde pilot, but she certainly wasn't deficient in the bosom department. Her hips were curved and accentuated her slender legs very nicely. And the way that water beaded and dripped down her pale skin made her so... enticing. 

The doctor immediately turned his back to her as his cheeks took on a reddish tinge. His shoulders bunched up a bit and he felt himself at a loss over his reaction to Barnette's nakedness. He was puzzled as to why he was reacting this way to her and why certain parts of his body had begun to get stimulated. 

"Duero? What's... wrong?" 

"Ah... well, it... I... should have respected your right to privacy and... ah, I should have knocked... and, well..." 

Duero became even more flustered, making Barnette more confused. "What are you talking about? We're friends now, aren't we?" 

"Ah... yes, we are." 

"Then why are you turning away from me? Is it because you're embarrassed to see me naked?" 

"Ah, er... that's... I mean, it's improper and..." 

"This isn't the first time you've seen me without my clothes." Barnette reminded him. After all, he had performed physical checkups on nearly all of crew of the Nirvana, including herself. During those examinations, he had never once batted an eye at the various female bodies. Why was this different? 

"Yes, well... those were... necessary exams... to assess health and... well, I... I'll just leave this towel here and let you finish you bath, all right?" 

Without another word, the doctor quickly laid out the towel near the water's edge and exited, leaving a confused and slightly insulted Barnette. 

_Just when I thought I was beginning to understand you, Duero Mcfile..._

----------

"I... can't explain it, Slade." Duero said as he described his encounter with Barnette. "I _HAVE_ seen Barnette without her clothes before. I could tell you her measurements, her temperature, her weight, (though she told me not to tell anyone), the location of every distinctive marking on her skin, her hair texture and even when she's..." 

"She's what?" The Tekkaman inquired, though he had a hunch as to what Duero was implying.

"The term is having her... menstrual period." He said the last part in a very quiet voice.

"Oh, that time of the month, right?" 

"You know about that?" 

"Hey, I've been around, remember?" 

"Ah, of course. However, I find myself... it's hard to describe. When I saw her in the bath, all I could think of was how... beautiful she was. That... can't be right. A woman isn't supposed to be beautiful, is she?" 

"Who says?" Slade said with a shrug. "Men and women can both be beautiful. It all depends on the opinion of the person." 

Duero shook his head in disbelief. "But... how can this be? When I saw her all wet and... just standing there, I felt this... urge to hold her close to me and..." 

"Rip off your own clothes?" 

"Yes! Exactly! It felt as if some... force within me was... compelling me. It was unfamiliar... yet it felt... instinctive, as if I had known about it my whole life." 

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"What was that feeling Slade? Is it even right for me to be experiencing it?" 

The Tekkaman became silent for a long time. Finally he responded. "Hmmmm, I'm... not really sure if I'm the right guy to answer that, since I've been fighting those urges for a long time myself. Cold showers aren't working as well as they used to and lately, I've been _REALLY_ tempted to jump on some girls' bones." 

"You want to cause injuries?" 

"Sorry, it's just an expression. I keep forgetting that you're from Tarak and these feelings you're experiencing must really be scaring you. You were raised in a society that believed that women were monsters. However, when you found out that they weren't monsters, everything that you had thought was true was thrown out the window, right?" 

"More or less." Duero admitted. 

"So now that you don't have those beliefs to fall back on, you're wondering why your body is reacting the way it is, right? Well, I can only say that it's because that ancient instinct is now making itself known to you."

"Instinct? What instinct?" 

"On Tarak, that instinct had been repressed since the day you were born. However, now that you are living on a ship full of females, and I can only imagine what happened between you and Barnette out in that desert, I'm guessing that instinct is trying to make up for lost time." 

"What instinct are you talking about?" The physician asked. 

Slade sighed as he realized that he was going to have to blunt. "What I'm talking about is that ancient instinct between men and women. How else did they produce babies back in the old days?"

Duero looked as if he was going to have a stroke. "What? Are you saying that what I'm feeling for Barnette is because... of an urge... to... procreate?" He barely managed to say the last word. 

"Well, in a word... yeah." 

_**THUD!**_

Slade looked down at the now unconscious man. 

_He took that better than I thought._

----------

Saber chuckled as he burst free from the suspension capsule. It had cost him a great deal of his own personal reserves of energy, but now he was ready. It was time to settle things between himself and Slade... permanently. 

----------

In the bunker... 

Dita frowned as she tried another frequency on her console. However, this proved to be no successful than the last hundred attempts. Along with Jura, she had been trying to get through the barrier in order to contact the Nirvana, but so far, they had been getting nothing but static. The energy shield was just too layered with various energy wavelengths to adapt to. 

At that point, both Duero and Slade came to room after the Tekkaman had revived the healer. 

"Any luck?" Slade asked. 

Both girls shook their heads. Jura was especially irritated that help was so close, yet there was no apparent way to get it. The sensors had faintly picked up the presence of the Nirvana in orbit, but the communication frequencies couldn't penetrate the shield in order to contact the Mejele pirates.

"The Nirvana is up there, of that we're sure, but we can't signal to them or let them know that we're still alive down here." Jura pouted. "If it weren't for that damned barrier, we'd be out of here by now!" 

Duero began missing the presence of the brilliant engineer Parfat. The plucky electronics genius would have figured out a solution to their dilemma. His mind started to wander and for some odd reason, he began mentally comparing the physical differences between Barnette and Parfat. He wondered why he was suddenly imagining Parfat in Barnette's clothes and Barnette in Parfat's. 

It was then that he became inspired, as he once again applied his medical knowledge to engineering concepts. 

"You say that sensors are picking up the Nirvana, correct?" 

"Just barely." Jura replied. "That barrier and all the interference from those three suns block just about every other kind of sensor transmissions. We were just lucky this sensor array had a tachyon transmitter, though we're only getting a faint pulse at best." 

"Then, if the sensor transmission is getting through, then why not piggyback a message onto it?" 

"Piggyback?" 

"It's what I learned in medical cloning genetics at the Tarak Academy. When manipulating the genetic code of a person, a set of instructions in the form of amino acids can be transported into the genome, using mitochondrial RNA as carriers. Do you think you can add a message and send it through the sensor transmissions?" 

Jura began to comprehend the physician's meaning. "So... when the Nirvana detects that they are being scanned, then they'll also catch the message with it?" 

"Yes, that's about the long and short of it." 

"Hmmm... that could work." 

"Wow. You're really smart Mr. Doctor!" Dita remarked while clapping her hands. 

Slade nodded. "Good thinking, Doc." He turned to Jura. "Think you can do it?" 

"I'll... give it a try. I haven't had much experience with this sort of thing, but I think I can tag on a short message per cycle." 

"Good." Slade then addressed Dita. "While she's working on that, we need to find the generator that's supplying power to that barrier. Even if we do manage to contact the Nirvana, we're still going to need to take out that shield in order to escape. Saber said that it was hidden somewhere on this planet. I'm willing to bet that it's somewhere near where we encountered him." 

"You got it!" The redhead acknowledged as she began scanning the area around them. 

"How are we going to escape?" Duero inquired. "We can't all fit in Pegas' cockpit. Are we going to have to wait until the Nirvana sends some more Vanguards or the Landing Craft down to retrieve us?" 

"If we could get the barrier down now, then I would just wait for the captain and the others to come get us." Slade admitted. "However, there's still Saber to consider and I have a feeling that he'll show up again and soon, probably with another nasty surprise for us. He went through a lot of trouble to lure me here and prevent me from transforming. He's not the type who'd give up so easily and it wouldn't be unlike him to have a contingency plan if he failed to get what he wanted. We may have to leave this planet as soon as we are able, regardless of whether or not the Nirvana will be able to find us. Luckily, we came across something else in this bunker that may just get us off this rock." 

"What is it?" A feminine voice asked. 

Both men glanced over their shoulder and saw a clean and clothed Barnette entering the room. Duero blushed a bit at the sight of her, before composing himself. 

"Follow me." Slade gestured as he exited, leaving the Dita and Jura to their work. 

----------

In another chamber... 

"Are these, what I think they are?" Barnette asked as she and Duero gazed upon four cylindrical-shaped capsules that were mounted on a technological ramps. Each ramp was aimed upward toward a set of exit doors in the ceiling. Every craft was equipped with a set of powerful thruster units mounted on the sides and back. Inside was a seat for one with navigational instruments and controls. 

Slade nodded. "According to the data files, these are planetary escape pods which can send a person past the orbit of this world in less than two minutes. It wasn't exactly a smooth ride, but they weren't meant for deep space travel. They were meant for one-time use and afterwards, the survivors would have been picked up by cruisers that were in orbit. Apparently, they were intended to be used to flee this world when the Harvesters invaded. They're all in good-working order and their fuel tanks are full. Unfortunately for the people who had been stationed here, they never got a chance to use these pods to escape the Harvest." 

"But, what good will these pods be to us?" Duero inquired. "We'll hit Saber's barrier before we get into orbit." 

"That's why I'm having Dita trying to locate the barrier's power supply and Jura contact the Nirvana. I have a plan, though it's a big gamble. If Jura is able to contact the Nirvana, then she can instruct them to be waiting for the pods when you all launch. By that time, Dita will have located the barrier's power source. I know that Saber will return and he certainly won't let us just escape this planet. You'd all be sitting ducks in these pods once we find and destroy the barrier's generator. Hopefully, with the barrier down, I'll be able to transform and keep him busy long enough for all of you to get away." 

"But, what about you?" Duero asked with concern. Barnette also became tense. 

"Don't worry about me. I'll have Pegas to back me up. This is the only thing I could think of and I hope it works." 

At that moment, the three heard an excited squeal of joy from down the hall. Jura had just made contact with the Nirvana. 

---------- 

The bridge of the Nirvana... 

"What? You've just received a message from the Landing Party?" Magno asked as she spoke to Parfat on the main monitor. 

"Yes, Captain!" The bespectacled girl replied happily. "We received a faint sensor pulse from the planet and there was a brief, encoded message tagged onto it. It read as follows: Five alive, Jura. Respond 5 degrees port." 

"Respond five degrees port?" Buzom repeated in puzzlement. "What did she mean by that?" 

"I think she means for the Nirvana to move to port five degrees from our position." Parfat suggested. "Since we can't transmit a reply back to them, they want us to move five degrees to signal that we received their message. They're somehow able to scan our position." 

"All right then. Bart, five degrees to port." Magno barked. 

"Roger." The bald man replied in his Navigation Well. 

---------- 

On the planet's surface, Jura nodded as she tracked the Nirvana. She then began sending a series of pulses, each with a brief message, explaining Slade's plan. 

On the other side of the console, Dita gasped as she picked up an object that was coming down toward the planet's surface at an alarming rate. When she realized what, or rather who it was, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. 

Using the bunker's intercom system, she contacted Slade. 

---------- 

Slade felt his hopes plummeting as he was informed of the dire news. "What? Saber's coming here? Have you found the generator yet?" 

"No. I need more time." Dita replied. 

"Keep looking for that generator! I'll try to stall him!" 

"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" Duero asked. 

Slade shook his head. "I'm sorry but none of you would last a second against Saber. What I want you all to do is launch as soon as that barrier is down." 

"But Dita hasn't found the generator yet." Barnette said. 

"She will! I _KNOW_ she will!"

With those words, Slade raced off to get Pegas. 

---------- 

High above in the skies, Saber streaked down toward the planet's sandy surface, eager to finish his business with Slade and end their conflict, once and for all. Ever since his creation, the red Tekkaman felt as if he was nothing more than a carbon copy of his greatest adversary. The leaders of Earth hated Slade, but they still talked about his power, his battle prowess and that he was the most powerful weapon. As for Saber, he was considered no more than a lackey, a joke, a dismal failure from the start to be used and then thrown away. 

Well, he'd show them and everyone else! Once he had gotten the secret of achieving the penultimate state, then he would have the last laugh. He would show that he was the best of the best and woe to anyone who stood in his way! 

---------- 

Slade gritted his teeth as he rode inside Pegas to meet the enemy. Though the Tekkabot was formidable against the Harvesters, it was only marginally better than the other Vanguards as compared to a true Tekkaman. If only there was some way that he could transform, but that damned dampening field was preventing him from doing so. 

Slade frowned as he picked up Saber on his sensors. Steeling himself for the battle, he armed all of Pegas' weaponry, took aim and fired. 

---------- 

Saber chuckled as he saw his foe fire at him. 

"Well now, what do we have here? Why it's a little tin Tekkaman." 

He simply dodged each of his shots as he decided to toy with his foe for a while. Making zigzag patterns that would have torn a Dread to pieces; he outmaneuvered the Tekkabot with relative ease, appearing behind it in less than a second. With one mighty punch of his armored fist, he caused the machine to go plummeting downward. His thrusters propelled him down after it. 

Inside the cockpit, Slade fought to maintain control. He knew that Saber could have destroyed him instantly and was only allowing him to live because of the secret Slade possessed. However, the former Saotome refused to go down without a fight. Activating his Tekkabot's braking thrusters to slow his descent, he then inverted the mecha to face toward Saber and let loose with another barrage of laser fire. He then regained control of his fall and redirected the machine to take evasive actions. 

Above him, Saber chuckled. "You are only delaying the inevitable Slade. I'm going to open up that Vanguard like a can of beans. Here's my can opener." 

The red cosmic warrior came flying at him with lance held out at the ready. The bladed weapon would have cut the Tekkabot in half if Slade hadn't acted quickly and reversed his robotic friend's direction. The point of Saber's lance skidded across the left side of the Tekkabot, but the machine managed to hold together and jet away to get more fighting room. 

Saber pursued after it. "What's the matter, Slade? Don't you like my company?" 

Inside Pegas, Slade growled as he was forced to retreat. Saber's taunts were starting to get to him, and he wanted dearly to shut his mouth. However, without his Tekkaman powers, he couldn't do much but stall for time. If only there was some way for him to transform! However, that damned dampening field interfered with his body's energy and Saber's armor was shielding him from its effects..." 

_Shielding? Wait a minute! That could work!_ Slade began to fire everything he had at Saber, in order to distract him long enough to instigate his most desperate gamble. 

Saber didn't even bother to evade the barrage and let the shots bounce off his armor. He figured that this was Slade's last-ditch, though ultimately futile effort to destroy him. He became enveloped in a gigantic ball of explosions and light as Pegas expended all of its ammunition and ordinance. However, Saber appeared and hovered in the air, with not a single scratch on him. The Tekkabot's guns went silent as Saber let off cruel laugh.

"Are you quite done, Slade? I certainly hope so, because I have grown very bored of this." He thrust out his lance in front of him. "Now why don't you just give me what I want to know and I _MIGHT_ just spare you and those weaklings that are hiding below in that bunker?" 

Slade didn't even bother to wonder how Saber knew that Duero and the others were in the bunker. This was the moment of truth as he made his crystal appear and activated certain systems in Pegas. 

"Nothing to say?" Saber taunted as he prepared to charge. "Well then, I think it's time we finished this!" 

"My sentiments exactly." Slade gritted. "_TEKSETTER!_" 

Saber had just begun moving forward when the Tekkabot suddenly flared with light and energy. This caused the red Tekkaman to back off as the machine trembled. It appeared as if it was going to shake itself apart as the power within struggled to escape. Then, after few seconds, the top hatch flipped out and out rocketed... 

"What the Hell?! You can't... _OOF!_" 

Tekkaman Slade slammed his fist into his foe's face, and then brought out his lance. 

Saber jetted backward from the blow and hovered some fifty feet from his opponent... who was fully transformed! 

"Impossible! It can't be! You're a Tekkaman again, but how? You can't transform with the dampening field still active on this planet!" 

"You're almost right." Slade shot back. "I can't transform on this world with that dampening field... so I figured that I needed to be shielded from it. Therefore, I transformed _INSIDE_ of Pegas. Thanks to its insulation against disruptive energies, I wasn't hampered by your barrier! Now it's an even fight!" 

Saber let off a roar of rage as he charged at his foe with murder in his eyes. 

---------- 

Back at the bunker... 

"Come on Dita! You've got to find that generator!" Jura said as she continued to send messages to the Nirvana. High above them, the pirate vessel was moving in position to retrieve their crewmembers. 

"I've almost got it!" Dita replied as she began zeroing in on the barrier's power source. 

In the other chamber, Duero and Barnette were readying the escape capsules. 

---------- 

"_THIS IS GOING TO THE LAST TIME WE'RE GOING TO PLAY THIS GAME!_" Slade shouted as he parried Saber's thrust, then countered with his own. 

"_I AGREE!_" Saber retorted as he retaliated with several fast slashes. He then made an adjustment to his weapon, causing an extra set of blades to appear perpendicular to the haft. He threw it at his adversary like a deadly discus. 

Slade managed to deflect the weapon as he knew that he couldn't risk any breach to his armor. That would expose him to the disruptive energies of the barrier. He then made a tight turn in midair and slashed at Saber's midsection. The point of his lance just barely grazed the enemy Tekkaman's armor, but the damage had been done. 

Saber winced as the barrier's energies began to seep into his insides. However, he ignored the pain and countered with a thrust to Slade's chest. The white Tekkaman swerved to avoid it, but the point of his lance nicked his right shoulder, also exposing him to the disruptive power of the shield. 

Both Tekkamen darted back and forth like maddened hornets, trying to deliver a crippling blow to his adversary. Knowing that he was running out of time, Salde made another desperate gamble. He let himself become wide open as he came about toward Saber again. His red counterpart took the bait and charged in toward his chest. At the last moment, Slade twisted about and Saber's lanced pierced into his left shoulder, below the epaulet, making a considerable hole in the armor. This was quite painful, but Slade knew that he had his foe right where he wanted him. 

Slade broke his lance in two and used one half to drive it into Slade's helmet. The red Tekkaman screamed in absolute pain as he was sent crashing down toward the ground. Not wanting to take any chances, Slade bit back the agony he was feeling, opened his Voltekker Units and fired! 

"_VOLTEKKER!_" 

The beam caught Saber before he was able to power up his Anti-Voltekker. He was slammed hard into the ground and a huge explosion tore up the surface of the desert. A few moments later, the blast died down, leaving a very deep crater in the sands. 

Slade quickly removed Saber's lance from his shoulder and jetted down to the center of the depression. Fighting off the effects of the dampening field, he then looked down at his beaten foe. 

Saber was in more agony as his ruined armor was no longer any protection against the disruptive energies. He had no choice but to transform back into his human form. The injuries he had sustained carried over in the transformation and it was apparent that Saber would not last long. 

"You... beat me." Saber grumbled as he lay dying in the center of the crater. "But... I will not die... alone!" He then reached behind his back and pulled out a small device that looked like a pocket pager. "If... I can't have the secret... then _NO ONE WILL!_" He pressed the button while giving Slade a sneer. 

"What's that?" Slade demanded as he held out his weapon.

"A little... insurance." Saber said, while still sneering. "Did you know that the inhabitants of this planet had developed... a Doomsday Device to use against... the Harvesters? They never got... to use it, but I found out about it when I... came to this world. In... the center of this planet... is a device they referred to as the ANNIHILATION PROJECT. I've just activated it. In ten minutes, everything on this world will be turned to nothingness as the... weapon detonates a series of anti-matter bombs that can destroy... everything... including Tekkaman Armor!" 

"What?!" Slade began to have flashbacks of a similar situation, early on in the Nirvana's journey (2) 

"You've got... nine minutes and thirty seconds...to live. And with that barrier still active, you can't escape! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

"_DAMN YOU!_" Slade signaled for Pegas to pick him up as the countdown continued. Getting inside the cockpit, he immediately transformed back into his human form to keep the barrier's dampening field from injuring him further. Though his body ached from the wounds he received, he ignored the pain and contacted Dita on the enhanced communicator. 

---------- 

"WHAT?! THIS PLANET IS GOING TO EXPLODE?!" Dita cried out as she heard the news. 

Inside Pegas, Slade nodded. "We've got nine minutes before this entire world becomes space dust! We've got to get out of here now! Tell me you've found where the generator is!" 

Dita began transmitting the coordinates of the hidden power source. 

Slade growled as he realized that it was quite a distance off. Pegas had sustained some damage during its battle with Saber and was reduced in speed. Mentally calculating the time it would take to reach the generator, he began giving his final instructions. "Give me about five minutes to destroy the generator, then get into those escape pods!" 

"But we can't leave without you, Mr. Alien!" 

"Do as I say!" Slade said as he cut communications and told Pegas to head for the generator coordinates. 

---------- 

The Nirvana... 

"What? The planet's going to self-detonate?!" Buzom exclaimed. 

Amarone nodded as she read Jura's message. "Planet destruction in 8 min 30s. Pickup coordinates 010012." 

Magno nodded as she told Bart to head for that point in orbit. 

---------- 

Eight minutes to detonation...

Inside the bunker, Duero and Barnette began programming the escape pods with the coordinates. Due to limited power supplies, each pod would have to be launched one at a time. Once they were in orbit, they would begin transmitting a homing beacon for the Nirvana to pick up. 

The ground beneath them began to tremble and quake as the planet began to die. 

---------- 

Seven minutes and ten seconds to detonation... 

Slade nodded as Pegas was approaching the coordinates that Dita had given to him. His sensors had begun to pick up a high amount of energy being transmitted towards the sky. Landing his Vanguard near a stone arch formation, (ironically, it was the same one that Duero and Barnette had camped beside the night before); he began directing his scanners for the generators exact location. One minute and twenty seconds later, he found it to be buried some forty meters below ground. There was just one problem though. He had expended all of his Tekkabot's ammunition and ordinance fighting Saber. How was he going to destroy the generator? 

Seeing that he had no choice and that it was going to be very painful and exhaust his remaining strength, he made his crystal reappear. 

"_TEKSETTER!_" 

---------- 

Five minutes and twenty seconds left... 

"Dita! Get into the pod!" Duero commanded as he pulled her toward the first of the escape capsules. 

"No! I won't leave without Mr. Alien!" Dita shook her head as she tried to pull away from him. Then suddenly, her body went limp and sagged in the doctor's arms. 

"I'm sorry Dita." Duero apologized as he placed the unconscious girl into the pod and closed the hatch. 

"What happened?" Jura asked. 

The doctor gave the blonde a bit of a sheepish look as he showed her a small hypodermic needle. "Sedative. She'll come around in a few minutes after she takes off." He then ran to the console and started the launching sequence. A minute later, the launch doors opened up and the ramp moved into position. 

---------- 

Though it strained him to do so, Slade transformed again and emerged from Pegas. Taking careful aim, he powered up and fired. 

"_VOLTEKKER!_" 

The green-white blast of quantum and ki punched through the sands and obliterated the generator in one massive eruption. 

---------- 

In orbit... 

"Captain! The barrier is down!" Ezra announced happily. 

To everyone's amazement, the projectors which had kept them away from planet suddenly deactivated and became dormant. The barrier disappeared, thereby giving the pirates full access to the planet. At that moment, the sensors picked up a launch signature below them. 

Magno immediately contacted the Warrior Sqaudron to prepare to pick up the escape pods. 

---------- 

Four minutes, thirty seconds... 

After receiving a message from Slade that the generator had been destroyed, Duero punched in the launch code. Dita's escape capsule was sent hurtling into the sky like a silver bullet fired from a gun.

Back at the bunker, Duero pointed to the second capsule as he prepared to launch it after Dita's. Jura nodded as she jumped into it and strapped herself in. As the hatch closed and sealed itself, the doctor sent it off. The golden-haired pilot was pushed back into her seat as the capsule was propelled skyward. 

After sending out the second of the four modules, he then told Barnette to board hers. He assured her that his pod will automatically launch ten seconds after hers did. The brunette nodded and began heading toward her means of leaving this world. Suddenly, the entire bunker shook as the planet went into another one of its death throes. A large steel support beam was torn free from its foundations and began falling toward the Dread pilot. 

"_LOOK OUT!_" 

Duero managed to get to her and pull her back. The huge girder came down in front of her, crushing the escape pod. Barnette winced as a heavy fragment of ceiling came down and struck her left shoulder, causing it to dislocate. 

"_AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!_" 

Duero and the girl fell backward and ended up sprawled on the floor. Quickly checking her arm, the doctor saw that had no time to be delicate. Using a pressure point technique that he had learned from Slade, he deadened the nerves in her upper arm and set the limb back into place. Barnette winced at the slight discomfort, but was grateful that it wasn't as painful as she thought it would be. However, she saw that her means of escape had been destroyed. 

Her face took on a shocked expression as she felt something sharp pierce into her right arm. Her body immediately became limp and it felt as if she had been paralyzed by a sandworm again. She looked up questioningly at Duero, who smiled down at her as he showed her a syringe. 

"Don't worry. It's just a temporary muscle relaxant. You'll be able to move again in a few minutes." He then picked her up and carried her to the last escape pod. 

"W-W-What are you doing?" Barnette became horrified as she was being placed into the pod and strapped down. "_NO!_ You can't!" 

Duero leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "This is the last escape pod and I told you before, my patient's safety comes before mine. I believe in my doctor's oath. Godspeed Barnette Orangello." He then closed the hatch and ran back to the launch controls. 

"_NO! NO! NO! NO! DUERO! YOU CAN'T....!_" 

However, her protests were drowned out by the roar of the escape pod's thrusters. Tears streamed down her face as she was sent upward after her comrades. 

As he watched the pod become a distant dot into the sky, the Tarak man let off a sad sigh. _I'm sorry, Captain. I'm afraid that I can't keep my promise to return to the Nirvana._

---------

Three minutes and counting...

Slade nodded as he saw another of the escape pods take to the sky. The Tekkaman was riding his robotic partner's back as he headed towards the bunker. He had to make certain that everyone had escaped before fleeing the planet himself. However, as time ticked away, he wondered why the fourth pod hadn't launched yet. As the deadline neared the two-minute mark, he told Pegas to scan for life signs in the bunker. He was alarmed to hear that one person was still there!

---------

The Nirvana... 

"Xian Pu and Ukyo have reported that they have retrieved two more of the escape pods." Ezra announced. 

"That only makes three." BC said with concern.

"Jura's message said that there were four. Where's the last one and Pegas?" 

Amarone announced that there was only one minute left... 

---------

Duero decided that since his time was almost up, he would say his final prayers and... 

"_DOC! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!_" 

The doctor looked up and saw the Tekkaman come through the launch doors, with Pagas behind him. 

"Slade! I though you were..." 

"_NEVER MIND THAT NOW! THIS PLANET IS GOING TO BLOW IN THIRTY SECONDS! GET INTO PEGAS NOW!_" 

The Tekkabot opened up its cockpit as it landed in front of the healer.

---------

A few seconds later, both Tekkaman and Tekkabot were streaking off into the sky. However, as the planet began going into its final phase of destruction, both knew that it was going to be close. As the timer reached zero, the main anti-matter charges were set off and the desert world became a spherical mass of chaos and explosions.

---------

On the Nirvana's observation deck, Barnette cried out as she watched the world die. She was currently leaning against Jura and Meia as the paralysis to her muscles had not yet worn off. Many of the crew was also present on the observation deck. 

The planet was then enveloped in a tremendous burst of light and was totally destroyed. All that was left were some fragments of planetary debris, which were deflected off the Nirvana's shields. 

There was several long, tense moments of silence on the ship as everyone on board waited for news on the fate of their missing crew members. Seconds ticked by, which stretched into long, agonizing minutes. With absolutely no sign of the Tekkaman, Pegas or the physician, the worst had to be assumed. 

"They... didn't make it." Jura choked. 

"_NO! MR. ALIEN!_"

Barnette began to cry again as she whispered one name. "Duero..." 

Then at that moment a familiar voice was heard over the intercom. 

"Slade to Nirvana. Slade to Nirvana. Request permission to come aboard!"

---------

Everyone crowded in the hanger as a battered and ragged Tekkaman and his Vanguard landed. Slade transformed back into his human form and fell to his knees. He was immediately hugged on all sides by Jura, Misty, Ukyo, Xian Pu and of course, Dita. Meia stood close by and was also secretly glad that Slade was back. 

"Slade! Where's Duero?" Barnette demanded. By this time, she had full control of her limbs. 

The space warrior smiled as Pegas' cockpit opened up and out stepped... 

"_DUERO!_" 

"Hello Barnette, I... _OOOFFF!!_" 

To the shock of everyone there, the former man-hating Mejele girl tackled the physician to the floor and gripped him tightly. She was crying her heart out as she continued to squeeze. 

"Barnette... urk... I can't... breathe... ack!"

"Shut up."

"Barnette?"

"Just... shut up, you stupid... man!" 

Behind her, Parfat was in a state of total disbelief as she saw Duero in the arms of another woman! She found herself in a flustered state as Barnette continued to embrace the doctor. 

In the background, Magno smiled at the scene as her second-in-command looked on in confusion.

"Heh, heh. Well now... I have a feeling that things are going to get more interesting in the near-future."

---------

Later... 

"Mr. Alien?" 

Jura, Meia and Dita found Slade looking out of the observation deck at the remains of the desert world as the Nirvana resumed its journey home. 

"Slade? What wrong?" Jura asked as she noticed that he was brooding again. 

Slade didn't seem to notice them as he continued to stare out into space. 

"What is it, Mr. Alien?" 

After a long while, he replied without facing them. "I was thinking... about Saber." 

"Saber? He's dead." Jura said with confidence. "There's NO way he could have survived that explosion." 

"If I managed to escape it, what makes you think he didn't? He _IS_ a Tekkaman." 

That one simple statement left the blonde speechless as Slade continued to gaze at the star-studded void.

---------

In the Sick Bay... 

Duero sighed in contentment as he was once again back in his element. Getting back to his Spirit Trial roots had been enlightening, but it was the Sick Bay where he felt the most comfortable. 

Paiway had been overjoyed to see him again. Apparently, she wasn't used to dealing with so many patients for a long period of time. The growing workload and responsibility had almost overwhelmed her. Then there were all those crewmembers who came in with trivial health problems such as hangnails, broken nails and such. She now had a greater appreciation for Duero's expertise and discipline. 

As the doctor began going over the medical logs of the current cases, the door to the Sick Bay opened up and in stepped Barnette, pushing a cart with a couple of covered dishes.

"Barnette. Do you have medical problems that you'd like me to look at?" 

The Dread pilot shook her head as she lifted the lid off one of the plates, revealing an exquisite filet mignon. "No, I came here to serve your dinner. I promised you the best meal in the galaxy, remember?" She then presented him with a red bottle. "Would you like some hot sauce?" 

Duero couldn't help but laugh at the joke, in which Barnette joined in. 

Outside of the Sick Bay and watching from around a corner, a certain somebody with glasses looked on with moisture in her eyes. 

"Duero."

To be continued.... 

Author's Notes 

Whew! And with this part, chapter five draws to a close. As for the relationship between Barnette and Duero, I feel that having just Parfat in the picture was too easy. Besides, I like Duero and I think he's cool. In addition to all the other girls after Slade, I thought why not have a couple more triangles develop? That makes the story more interesting! 

I think I'll be taking a break from this fic for now and concentrate on working on the others. 

(1) Back in ch.5 of the First Stage 

(2) See (1)


	9. Songfic: Let's Get Physical

_**LET'S GET PHYSICAL**_

A TEKKADREAD SONGFIC

Song originally sung by Olivia Newton-John 

: Lyrics 

: Thoughts 

Note: This songfic takes place after ch.5 of Tekkadread, the Second Stage. 

The Nirvana's gymnasium... 

Duero continued stretching his limbs as he and Slade warmed up for their regular session of physical training. He also did some light breathing exercises, bending over, joint rotations and flexing to work out any tension in his muscles. There was no one else there, which meant that the two males had the workout area all to themselves. 

So what kind of exercises are we going to do today? The good doctor asked. He was dressed in a pair of form-fitting shorts, with cutoff legs at mid-thigh. They molded to his lower body and yet gave him freedom of movement. On his feet was a pair of simple workout shoes. He did not wear anything above the waistline, displaying an impressive array of pectorals and abdominal muscles. Like the Tekkaman, Duero's frame favored a lean, but well-sculpted build, rather than being weighed down by bulky muscles. Speed, agility and skill were preferred over brute force. 

Beside him, Slade was similarly dressed. Reaching down into a tote bag on the floor, he pulled out several items, He handed his training partner some heavy, cloth-wrapped objects. We're going to do something a bit different today, Doc. Here, put these on. He then picked up four more of the strange implements from the bag. 

The physician took the offered items and saw that they were elastic bands with some weights sewn into them. He gazed back at his sparring partner with a questioning expression. Slade said nothing as he put two of the heavy bracers on his wrists, then the other two near his ankles. He then nodded for Duero to do the same. 

Hesitantly, the healer followed suit and noticed right away that the extra weights slowed him down. His limbs felt about five pounds heavier apiece. 

Is this some kind of weight-training to build up my strength? He asked. There were many men on Tarak who lifted weights on a regular basis to build up their own body power. 

It's sort of part strength-training and part endurance training. My weights are a lot heavier than yours. Slade replied as he then reached into the bag and took out a flat, square container. Opening it up, he revealed an old-style audio CD. 

What's that? 

It's something that I picked up during my planet-hopping days. I came across a world, in which some of the Earth Colonists had settled. They worshipped this ideal that they called... what was it again? Oh yeah! They called it the Rich of Simmons. (1) The inhabitants were Gung Ho about fitness and health. They had some great training exercises. What we're going to do today is something they called aerobics. 

What's... aerobics? 

It's a very extensive, very intense form of workout. It targets all your major muscle groups, increases your heart rate, gets your blood flowing and helps build stamina. 

Duero nodded in comprehension. So it's a form of cardiovascular exercise. 

Yeah, that's what they said. What makes this different from what we've been doing so far is that it's set to music. 

Yep. Not only is it a good way to build up your endurance, but it also helps you develop rhythm and burns off excess fat. 

It sounds simple enough. 

It may sound simple, but it can be just as intense as my regular sessions with the Warrior Squadron. We'll start out slow and easy today and work from there. 

All right, what do I have to do? 

Oh just follow my lead and try to keep in rhythm. 

Slade inserted the CD into a nearby speaker system and pressed a button to start. However, what he didn't know was that the system was currently tuned into the entire communications network of the Nirvana. Furthermore, when he pressed Play, he also activated the overhead and wall cameras. As a result... 

---------- 

The hanger... 

Jura, Dita and Meia stopped in their Dreads regular maintenance when they suddenly began hearing music. 

Where's that coming from? Dita asked. 

Hey, look over there. Jura said as she pointed to an image being projected on a nearby monitor. 

All three girls crowded around the screen and their eyes widened as they saw two well-endowed males in only shorts and shoes, performing some kind of ritual, while moving in time with a beat. 

_I'm saying all the things that I know you'll like, making good conversation!_

Oh... my! Jura said as she saw how the way Slade's form moved in a direct, yet strangely compelling and forceful way. He threw his arms out with palms spread, then brought them back to his midsection. He repeated the movements several times with the doctor mimicking beside him. 

Dita and Meia also gulped as they found their heart rates begin to climb and their body temperatures went up a few notches. 

---------- 

The Register... 

_I gotta handle you just right... you know what I mean?_

What is this? One of the girls asked. 

I don't know... but I think I _LIKE_ it! Ukyo said as she watched Slade make some side-stepping maneuvers. He had begun to pick up the tempo a bit, and moved with a kind of feral grace. 

---------- 

The Target Range... 

_I took you to an intimate restaurant, then to suggestive movie!_

Barnette missed her next target completely as she stared wide-eyed at the screen. After her experience on that desert world, she had begun to notice the subtleties of the male form, especially Duero's. To see the doctor move with such determined, yet lithe motions made her want to touch his firm chest and... 

**_WHAT AM I THINKING?!_**

_There's nothing left to talk about, unless it's horizontally!_

Barnette shook her head violently when those words were heard! One can only guess what was running through her mind at that time... 

---------- 

The bridge... 

_Let's get physical, physical!_

_I wanna get physical! Let's get into physical!_

Why are they jumping about like that? Buzom wondered. 

The rest of the bridge crew didn't even hear her words as their eyes followed the men's movements, then widened as Slade and Duero went into a series of lunges, showing off the strength in their legs and how tight their (censored) were. 

_Let me hear your body talk, your body talk! Let me hear your body talk!_

--------- 

The Engineering Section... 

_I've been patient, I've been good. Tried to keep my hands on the table._

Ma'am, what is this? One of Parfat's staff asked. 

The head engineer didn't even hear the question as her glasses became steamed up and a bit of drool was trickling down her chin. She had seen Duero before, but never in this kind of primeval fashion. When he started flexing his chest and abdominal muscles, her heart skipped a beat. 

_It's getting' hard this holding back. You know what I mean?_

---------- 

The Sick Bay... 

_I'm sure you understand my point of view. We know each other mentally._

Paiway's mouth and that of her frog puppet were wide-open as she watched Slade and Duero go into a series of fast twisting motions which allowed the viewer to observe the movements of their flanks and hips. 

---------- 

_You gotta know that you're bringing out, the animal in me!_

Misty was licking her chops as she watched both men doing a series of axe-kicks. 

---------- 

_Let's get physical, physical!_

_I wanna get physical! Let's get into physical!_

By now, Duero and Slade were working up a considerable amount of sweat as they pushed themselves harder. The lights glinted off the sheen on their skin, adding to their masculine appearance. 

_Let me hear your body talk, your body talk! Let me hear your body talk!_

By now, nearly eighty percent of the girls on the ship were breathing hard and libidos were really getting stimulated, despite the fact that they were raised to hate men. It seemed that no amount of conditioning could ever eliminate those ancient instincts. 

---------- 

_Let's get physical, physical!_

Barnette noticed all the scars on Duero's body. Though the imperfections were considered ugly on a female, the marks seemed so... right on him. As they became covered in sweat, the Dread pilot began wondering what they'd taste like. 

**_WHAT AM I THINKING?!_**

---------- 

_I wanna get physical! Let's get int physical!_

_Let me hear your body talk, your body talk! Let me hear your body talk!_

_Yum!_ Jura thought to herself as Slade threw more punches as well as droplets of sweat. She especially liked the way his shorts molded to his rear. Who would have thought that a man's tight derrière could be so... enticing? 

Dita felt herself getting warm all over, especially in that spot between her legs. She couldn't get the image of a _NAKED_ Slade moving like that out of her mind. 

Meia began clenching and unclenching her fists as both confusion and desire conflicted within her. She was a warrior and leader, damn it! She didn't care if Slade had broad shoulders, a washboard stomach, lean but powerful legs, hard-as-rock biceps and buns of... 

**_GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MEIA!_** The Dread Leader screamed in her mind. 

---------- 

Barnette shook her head continuously, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen.

**_MEN ARE NOT SEXY! MEN ARE NOT SEXY! MEN ARE NOT SEXY!_**

_Let's get **ANIMAL**, **ANIMAL**!_

_I wanna get **ANIMAL**!_

_Let's get into **ANIMAL**!_

Duero then bent over. 

_**THUD!**_

Barnette passed out with a bit of a nosebleed. 

--------- 

**_THUD!_**

The engineering staff looked down on the floor and saw Parfat also out cold. 

_Let me hear your body talk, your body talk!_

_Let me hear your body talk!_

---------- 

As the music faded away, both men slowed their pace and began warming down. 

Duero let off a contented sigh. That had been a good workout and he was feeling more limber than ever. Slade walked over and shut off the speaker system. 

All over the ship, one could hear a collective... 

After that performance, nearly every girl on the Nirvana took a very cold shower. 

The End 

Author's notes 

Yeah, it was kind of silly, but I couldn't help myself. I figured that in this role-reversal situation, why not have the _WOMEN_ begin to feel those ancient instincts? I just had to write this! 

(1) Rich of Simmons = Richard Simmons 


	10. Chapter 6, Part 1: New Revelations L...

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: What now? Don't tell me you still want me to disclaim? All right. Tekkaman Blade, Ranma and Vandread all belong to their respective creators. There. You happy now? 

: Thoughts. 

**Chapter 6**

**Part One**

**New Revelations**

"Have you been noticing some strange things happening lately?" Xian Pu asked Ukyo as they both led the training exercises of the Warrior Squadron. Slade had some other business to attend to and he had let his second and third-in-commands take over for the last few days. 

"What things?" The descendant of the original Ukyo Kuonji asked. 

"Well... the Commander seems to be... avoiding us lately." 

The brown-haired girl thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. I've been seeing Slade kind of tense whenever he goes into the Register. He's been keeping to himself a lot. He seems a lot different ever since he and the doctor came back from that planet three weeks ago. He's still helping us out, but it seems like he's... I don't know, really nervous about getting close to anyone in the Register. And now he's not leading the training sessions like he used to." 

"You think he might be sick?" 

"I don't think so. He's just been avoiding contact with everyone. Even Dita can't get to him like she usually does. The only times I've ever seen him is when he's doing his job at the Register or training in the gym. We haven't been attacked for a while, so I haven't seen much of him. It's a bit odd." 

"Speaking of things that are odd, have you noticed what's been going on in the Sickbay lately?" 

---------- 

Sickbay... 

Duero pondered over the final results of the experiment that he had been working on for the past month. His fingers drummed absently over the console. He shook his head as the report was displayed on his monitor. 

_Not good._ The physician had hoped that the findings would have invalidated his theory, but instead they had confirmed it. 

At that point, the door hissed open. The good doctor turned about in his seat to see a certain Dread pilot enter the area. 

"Uh... hi." Barnette said quietly while giving him a small wave. 

"Hello." Duero greeted with a small smile as he sat up. "Is there a medical problem that I can help you with?" 

The normally tough Dread pilot swallowed a bit with a slight blush on her cheek, before showing him a small burn on her right arm. "I burned myself while cooking and I..." 

The physician nodded as he stood up and took hold of her arm to examine it. "Hmmm, it's not too serious. You've got a first-degree burn that I can treat easily. It won't even leave a mark once I'm done." 

Barnette's heart fluttered a bit as his hands caressed her sensitive skin while examining her injury. Though they were callused and had rougher skin, she couldn't help but notice how gently he moved them. The fingers deftly moved across her arm with practiced ease and precision. And when looked into his face and saw that one eye that wasn't covered with hair, she noticed something that she hadn't been aware of before. 

"Hazel." 

"Hmmm?" 

She pointed with her left index finer. "Your eye color. It's hazel. I never noticed it before. Its... nice." 

"Oh." The doctor nodded as he turned to get some soothing creme and gauze from a nearby medicine drawer. As he turned back to her, Barnette acted on an impulse, reached up and flicked the bang of hair that covered the right side of his face, which gave her a momentary glimpse of what was hidden underneath. 

As the hair fell back to its regular position, the doctor then said, "Is your curiosity satisfied?" 

"You've... got two eyes... and they're both hazel." The Dread operator said slowly with a bit of surprise. _Really nice-looking eyes._ She mentally added. 

"Of course I have two eyes." He shrugged as he took her arm to treat it. "You should be more careful in the future, Barnette. This is the sixth visit you've made in the past few days for minor medical attention. You've been getting paper cuts, small bruises, strained muscles, and so on. This has been happening a lot. If I didn't know better, then I would suspect that you injured yourself on purpose." 

"Heh, heh. Imagine me doing something so silly." Barnette laughed with a bit of a nervous tone as she scratched the back of her head. 

Duero chuckled a bit as he wrapped up the injury with a small, medicated bandage. "There. That should do it. Now you can..." He paused as something passed by his nostrils. "Hmmm." 

"What is it, Doctor?" Barnette asked in a quiet voice. 

"Do you smell that... odor?" 

"Odor?" 

"Well, it's not what one would call an offensive odor." Duero amended. "Actually, it's a very pleasant scent. It's like the floral fragrances in the Bio Park. I can't identify it, but it does stimulate my olfactory senses." 

"Scent? Oh, you must mean the perfume I'm wearing." 

"Perfume? You mean, you put some kind of... chemical on your skin?" 

"Yes." 

"What is its purpose?" 

Barnette shrugged. "Well, because it makes me smell good." 

"And what else?" 

"I don't understand. What else is perfume used for?" Duero thought for a while, then said, "I find the concept of putting a chemical on your skin to make one smell better to be confusing. I can understand using disinfectant to sterilize wounds. Does this perfume have the same purpose?" 

"Well no. It just makes me smell better to ... other people... especially to people that I... like." Barnette's cheeks became more tinged with red. 

"Curious. I have seen women apply various dyes and lotions to their faces, fingernails, toenails and various other parts of the body. I never did understand the reasoning behind all that until now. So you're saying that this process of... adorning oneself is a way to attract others? This is what's considered as beautiful to women?" 

"Uhmm... I guess you could put it that way. It's... all a matter of personal opinion." 

"Hmmm... fascinating. Though as a doctor, I feel that the human body in itself is a thing of beauty and needs no artificial enhancement." 

"Really?" 

"Yes, I think that a healthy, well-kept physique is very appealing. And after becoming the Nirvana's physician. I have also found the female form to be quite... interesting." Duero remarked. 

Barnette's face turned even redder as she bowed her head in embarrassment. 

---------- 

The Engineering Section... 

"Parfat? Why is your hair like that?" One of the girls of the head engineer's staff asked. 

The brown haired girl shrugged as she played with a tress of her hair. "I just felt like wearing it down today, that's all. How do I look?" 

"You look all right. Why aren't you wearing your glasses?" 

"Well, I thought I wouldn't need them today. I can see fine enough. Oh look at the time. I'm due for my regular checkup in the Sickbay. Take care of things until I get back, okay?" She then turned about to head out to the Sickbay... and missed the door completely. 

_**WHOMP!**_

"Ow." Parfat rubbed her sore nose, then let off a nervous chuckle before exiting. 

Parfat's assistant sweatdropped. 

---------- 

Later... 

After finalizing the results of his experiment, Duero gazed upon the empty specimen tube in his hands for a moment. He then tossed the receptacle into the disposal slot on his console. The last of Slade's seed specimen had been used up and the doctor was glad of it. 

Over the past few days, several of the females and especially Jura, had been trying to sneak into the Sickbay to get their hands on it. Though they flatly denied it whenever Duero caught them in the act, the physician knew better. He didn't blame Parfat for the leak of information after finding that his console had been bugged. 

As Duero thought about the head engineer, he began recalling back to when Parfat had come in for her regular checkup. He almost didn't recognize her without her glasses and her hair hanging loose, instead of in those twin braids. He had also noticed that she had a light application of facial dye on her cheeks, eyelashes and lips. For as long as he could recall, Parfat had been one of the few females on the Nirvana who rarely wore cosmetics. 

She had also been acting strangely and Duero wondered just what was going on. He was just a humble doctor after all. There was nothing extraordinary about him, right? So why did certain females suddenly want to be with plain, old Duero McFile? He was considered average looking on Tarak. For the life of him, he couldn't fathom why a female would show any interest in being in his company. 

After spending months on a ship inhabited almost primarily by women, the physician had thought he had figured out the nuances of female behavior. However, they kept on changing moods almost instantaneously and without warning. Parfat's attitude toward him had always been friendly and open-minded, but now she more... forward. He had made a comment about how different she looked without her glasses and the interesting shade of her eyes, and she suddenly began giggling and blushing. And when he had nonchalantly mentioned Barnette, she took on a brief but intense expression of irritation. 

Then there was Barnette. The healer had her pegged as a bona fide man-hater. The mutiny she had started and her open dislike of anything male had been the proof. He had also known about the close relationship she had with Jura. After their ordeal on that desert world, Barnette had become more... amicable toward males, and especially toward himself. He had seen less and less of Jura and Barnette together. In fact, there were times in which Barnette went to certain lengths to be with him. 

---------- 

Flashback to three days ago... 

_**BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!** _

Duero nodded as he shot three bulls-eyes in a row with his rifle. He stood on an anti-gravity disk, which hovered seven feet above the floor at the center of the room. As he was off-duty, he had decided to get in some practice at the holographic target range. One never knew when the need for combat would arise. 

"Nice shooting." 

The physician turned about and saw a familiar figure walk into the room. In one hand she held her beloved Calico pistol. On her face was a friendly smile. She walked onto another floating platform, which elevated her to a position beside Duero. 

"Barnette? What are you doing here?" Duero asked in surprise. "I thought you were still on duty." 

"I asked for one of the other pilots to cover for me. I wanted to work off some stress. I guess it's just coincidence that we're both here, right?" 

"Yes... I suppose it is." Duero allowed with slight suspicion in his tone. He turned his gaze back to what he was doing as three more targets appeared from below like clay pigeons in a skeet shoot. He picked them off with three rapid shots. Three more targets appeared from the right side. He took them out in under a second. Finally, after shooting down eight more, the training program ended as a holographic display appeared with the final score. 

Level 5 

Hits: 50 

Misses: 0 

Accuracy: 100% 

"Impressive." Barnette remarked as she watched Duero change magazines. "But then again, it's bit much to use a rifle at such close range." 

Duero considered the weapon in his hands, then nodded and slung it over his shoulder. "You're right. I prefer using these." 

He signaled for the computer to restart the training program, this time at Level 8. There were fewer targets, (only sixteen in all), but they were much smaller and faster moving. As soon as the first four targets appeared, his right arm threw itself forward and streaks of metallic flashes were briefly seen. The targets were each hit dead center and the sounds of metal embedding into something softer were heard. 

Barnette's eyes widened as she saw four small, sharp implements sticking out of the impact surfaces on the far wall. The surfaces were used to catch bullets and absorb laser shots. Now they had two surgical scalpels and two syringes in them. 

Duero wasted no time as the next four targets buzzed by. With a sweeping motion of his other arm, he plucked four more pointed instruments from his lab coat and hurled them with deadly precision. After hitting his targets, he then proceeded to throw at the remaining number of holographic circles, taking each of them out as they appeared. When the program ended and the score was displayed, Barnette was understandably in awe. 

Level Eight 

Hits: 18 

Misses: 0 

Accuracy: 112.5% 

"Eighteen hits? I only counted sixteen targets." 

Duero shrugged as he pointed to the far wall. "I threw two extra scalpels at two targets and hit them twice." 

Barnette let off a low whistle of admiration and something more. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, Razor." 

Duero smiled at Barnette's reference to his nickname. 

---------- 

End of flashback... 

Duero shook his head bemusedly and shelved those thoughts for later. It was time to let the Captain and First Mate in on what he had discovered. 

---------- 

Meanwhile, on Earth... 

"How goes the progress?" One of the Earth Leaders asked as he and the rest of the Council discussed the upcoming battle that was about to occur. 

"Excellent." Another replied. "Our new Tekkamen are now fully acclimated to their powers and should be more than enough to destroy the Tekkaman Slade. The obedience chips in their cerebral cortexes will ensure their loyalty to us. With the addition of our new weapon, final victory over the Nirvana and its Paksis Pragma is assured." 

"I am... uneasy with this arrangement." A third commented. "We have already invested quite a bit in developing Saber's replacements. To send them and our new weapon seems wasteful." 

"Speaking of Saber, has there been any contact with him, since that disaster with the Anti-Voltekker Amplifier?" The second asked. 

"None whatsoever." The third answered. "It does not matter since we now have Axe, Lance and Rapier. Saber is no longer of any use to us. However, I would like to emphasize my objection to using all three Tekkamen and our new weapon against Slade and the Nirvana." 

"It cannot be helped." The first maintained. "So far, the Nirvana has adapted and triumphed over all that we have sent before. This time, we cannot take any chances. We have been underestimating their abilities and that has cost us dearly. This shall be their _FINAL_ confrontation and we must _CRUSH_ them utterly. The Harvest can no longer be hampered by these nuisances." 

"Has there been any new information from Rabat?" A fourth asked. 

The second shook his head. "Very little data has been transmitted to us, since that encounter with the Mission Delta 6, aside from the appearance of the Tekkaman Phantom. However, once we have eliminated Slade and the pirates, we shouldn't have any problems dealing with Phantom. From the battle footage that we had obtained from that time, we have ascertained that he is an incomplete Tekkaman and his powers are limited." 

"Very well then." The first leader nodded. "We shall attack the Nirvana at coordinates A-7694-E of the Epsilon Quadrant. Our projections show that it will be arriving at that sector in two days." 

"And what of Rabat?" The third inquired. 

"He has outlived his usefulness to us and his recent acts indicate that he has turned against us. If our forces encounter him, then they have permission to harvest him. If not, then they are allowed to destroy him with _EXTREME_ prejudice." 

---------- 

Somewhere out in space... 

Rabat had seen better days. 

After leaving Mission Delta 6, the trader had decided to head toward some systems that were nearer to Mejele and Tarak, which he reasoned haven't been informed of the Harvest yet. He had hoped he could buy and/or steal some supplies, fuel and ammunition and perhaps sell more information to the Harvesters. The fact that he had been permanently banished from Delta 6 was regrettable, but it was a loss that he could handle. 

Or so he thought. 

The first planet he had come across went by the name of Eterdia. It was an industrial world, which specialized, in valuable ores and metal alloys. It had a trading station in orbit and was considered the jump-off point to various other colonies. Rabat had decided to try to obtain some much-needed alloys to repair some parts of his ship's hull. However, as soon as he came within hailing range and identified himself, the station opened fire on him. He had barely managed to get his craft out of the system, before Eterdia's space patrol ships could catch up to him. 

Another planet that he tried to land on was Sindero, which was home to various arms dealers and manufacturing facilities. It would have been a good place to replenish his ship's weapon systems. However, they wouldn't deal with him as they too had received the transmissions from Delta 6. As soon as he landed his ship on the surface, Rabat found himself facing against several armored divisions. He was forced back into orbit at gunpoint and had left empty-handed. This had made his simian partner Utan very frustrated. 

When he tried to approach the planet Orteda, which was well reputed to have excellent medical technology, he wasn't met with force. He just wasn't met at all. As soon as the inhabitants recognized his ship's profile with their long-range sensors, they simply raised their planetary defense shield and refused to let him land. Rabat was once again denied access and was forced to leave. 

This pattern of rejection soon got to Rabat, and he had tried to sneak onto a planet's surface. Emphasis on the term 'tried.' Delta Six had transmitted highly detailed images and descriptions of the Harvester agent and his operations, and he soon found out that using an alias wouldn't work. He had nearly gotten executed when he landed on an extremely xenophobic human world. 

Now Rabat found himself in a dire situation as he cruised through the sea of stars. His ship was running low on food, fuel, spare parts and ammunition. It was barely able to maintain life-support and there weren't any space colonies or planets that he could dock with. 

At that moment, his long-range scanners began picking up a familiar signal that was heading toward him. He smiled as he recognized it. It was the signature of a Harvester repair and supply drone. They were shaped like Space Urchins, but were about three-quarters their size, colored gray and had less spines surrounding their inner hulls. There were hundreds of them circulating among the automated fleet, and he had used them on occasion to restock spare parts and armaments. He considered himself lucky as he began sending the recognition code to the craft and waited for it to respond. 

The drone picked up the signal and ran it through its database. However, when it made a match with Rabat's file, it began executing the new orders it had just received from Earth. Extending its spines to their fullest, the drone began speeding toward its target. 

Rabat wondered why the drone was suddenly speeding toward him on what appeared to be an attack angle, when the thing launched its spines at him. Taking evasive action, he swerved his vessel to the right to avoid being hit. The drone whizzed by and swung about for another attack run. New spines emerged from its spherical body as it prepared to charge again. At the same time, it began sending out signals to other Harvester ships that were in the sector. 

As the space trader continued to dodge the drone's attempt to skewer him, his sensors then picked up several more signals heading his way. His eyes widened as he saw several swarms of Cube Fighters appear in the distance, and they were all aiming their weapons at him! 

"_UTAN!_" He cried out as he began charging the weapons systems. The orangutan ran toward the firing controls to defend the ship, though Rabat knew that their chances of escape were not good. He hadn't been able to replenish the ammunition belts since Delta 6. 

_Why are they attacking me?! What's going on?!_ Then he remembered Slade's words to him. 

---------- 

Flashback... 

Slade: I promise you. The next time we meet, I _WILL_ send you to Hell. 

---------- 

End of Flashback... 

Rabat was shaken back to reality as several direct hits caused his ship to shudder. Damage reports began flashing all over his console as he and Utan began fighting for their lives. 

---------- 

Later... 

"Would you mind telling us why you called us here?" BC asked, as she and the captain sat in the Conference Room with Duero. 

The doctor nodded as he gestured to a holographic display. "I wanted to show you something." He inserted a data disk, and using a laser pointer, indicated at certain images as they appeared before them. The first series of pictures were about how women reproduced on the all-female planet. "As you know, I have been fascinated on how women on Mejele reproduce. The idea is to splice the genetic information of one parent, (the ohma as you call it), to the egg of the other parent (or fahma). Then the fertilized egg gestates in the fahma for nine months, to be later born as a baby, correct?" 

"Yes, we know all that." Magno said. "So why are you telling us this?" 

Duero then began indicating to a new set of images, which displayed Tarak's procedures on procreation. "On Tarak, our reproductive methods are actually quite similar. Genetic material from two consenting fathers, (they would be called ohmas to you), is donated and is then combined in a gestation matrix in one of the youth centers. We call them factories." 

The older woman shuddered a bit at the thought of being assembled like some machine, without the warmth of a mother. BC however, showed no indication at being disturbed. 

Duero continued with his lecture. "In a way, the birthing is done artificially on Tarak, while the people of Mejele use their own bodies as the 'gestation matrices.' However, the basic principals of genetic splicing and manipulation remain fundamentally the same. Overall, both Mejele and Tarak use modified cloning techniques in order to create the next generation." 

"This is very interesting, Doctor, but is there a point to all of this?" Buzom asked with a bit of irritation in her voice. 

Duero nodded as his expression took on the most serious look. "My point is... according to my research, if both planets continue on procreating this way, then the people will eventually be doomed to extinction." 

Now that caught both women's attention as they leaned forward and focused their gazes on the healer. 

"What do you mean by that?" Buzom demanded. 

"What I mean is this." He then showed a new set of images, which depicted the three-dimensional structure of DNA, the building blocks of all life. "Like all genetic cloning methods, the human genome is manipulated for duplication and splicing. Amino acids, enzymes and proteins are exchanged and relocated. However, therein lies the problem. Even within one generation, a condition known as genetic drift begins to occur. Genes begin to move away from their assigned positions, due to instabilities within the DNA itself. Within the first few generations, the changes are small, almost indistinct and easily dismissed." The image showed a few of the amino acids begin to shift, slightly altering the shape of the DNA structure. 

Duero then pointed to a very drastic change in the DNA model. "However, with successive generations, the changes become more extreme as each new offspring gains the hidden flaws of the parents, until finally, the genome is rendered incapable of further genetic alteration and duplication. As a result..." He let his voice trail off as the DNA model flew apart on the display. 

Both women were rendered speechless as the doctor's information began to sink in. Then Magno spoke in a slightly quivering voice. "Doctor, do you have any proof that such a thing is happening now?" 

Duero nodded as he showed two different DNA sequences. "These are samples that I took from Ezra and her baby. On the left is Ezra's DNA sequencing, on the right is her child's." 

Certain areas of both strands lit up in a bright red. "Now the highlighted areas indicate the portions of Ezra's DNA, which were inherited by her baby. Now, see how they appear once I magnify them." The images of the highlighted area were brought up and the two women immediately saw the differences. 

"Ezra's baby has a different sequencing than her mother's." Buzom observed. 

Duero shook his head. "Actually, the baby's sequencing is supposed to be the same, since she inherited it from Ezra, but many of the marker amino acids have moved, due to successive genetic drift. I accessed Ezra's medical records and compared it with the genetic files of the last two generations of her family. Take a look." 

The display then switched to a comparison screen, showing three DNA sequences of the same highlighted areas. The evidence was clear. The first generation was used as a reference, as the second showed slight shifting. Ezra's showed some more drifting, while her baby's marker amino acids were noticeably further than the original generation. 

Duero continued speaking. "As you can plainly see, the damage to Ezra's family line is well underway. Now I'm not saying that her baby won't be able to grow up normally and have her own children, because she will. The damage to her DNA hasn't reached that point yet, but I estimate that in another four or five generations, her descendants will have around a 50% chance of conceiving. Four or five generations after that and those odds will be reduced to 25%. After that, genetic deformities and complications are sure to take place and I wouldn't be certain if the planet's population would be viable enough to produce more offspring." 

"But this is only Ezra's family line." Buzom insisted. "Surely the others..." 

Duero shook his head again. "No. I've made comparisons and background checks on nearly all of the crewmembers, and they all show signs of progressive genetic damage. And it's not just limited to the women. I've also tested on my own DNA and Bart's. The men of Tarak are also suffering from genetic drift." 

"Why wasn't this problem addressed to during the First Generation?" Buzom asked. "Surely something as important as this would not have been overlooked when they developed the cloning techniques." 

Magno sighed as she answered for the doctor. "I suppose it was due to pride and stubbornness. When the men and women separated, each side thought that they could live without the other. However, it seemed that when the second generation began with initial success, they ignored the problems, which would eventually come to affect their descendants. Ah yes, this reminds me of a very old proverb. In the words of Mejele, the sins of the mother were revisited upon her daughters unto the fourth generation. How true it has become." 

"I know that old saying." Duero remarked. "Of course, on Tarak, we say that the sins of the father were revisited unto his sons, but that's beside the point. If this situation remains unchanged, then I would estimate that both Tarak and Mejele would not last long beyond the twelfth generation... and that is only a conservative estimate. We would more or less suffer the same problem of genetic saturation, that is preventing the people of Earth from having no future generations." He pressed a button on the display console, which started flashing examples of DNA profiles of some of the Nirvana's crew, including Barnette's, Jura's, Meia's, Bart's, and himself. "I think I've made my point." Duero concluded as he switched off the display.

"So what can be done about this problem?" Buzom asked. 

Magno then smiled as she replied in a matter-of-factly tone. "Well, that's quite obvious." She then addressed the good doctor. "Since you've been researching this problem and the history of our two planets, then I assume that you _KNOW_ what I'm talking about." 

Duero said nothing for a long moment, then smiled a bit. "Ah yes. I should have realized that _YOU_ would know about it, since you are one of the First Generation. It was so obvious." 

"Know about what?" Buzom asked, though she had a feeling that the answer would shock her. 

"Why, about the ancient practices of making a baby between a man and a woman, of course." Magno replied.

"_WHAT?!_" Buzom gasped. 

"That was Bart's exact reaction when Slade told us about it." Duero remarked. 

"Ah, so you learned it from D-Boy, eh?" Magno's grinned. 

Duero's cheeks turned slightly pink as he responded. "His lecture on the... (ahem) 'birds and the bees,' as he called it... was most informative." 

"Heh. I just knew that he would know." 

"_CAPTAIN!_" 

Both looked at the First Officer, who had become a bit more anxious than they had ever seen her. 

"Captain, you and the doctor are not suggesting that..." Buzom found that she couldn't bring herself to say it. 

"It is the only _LOGICAL_ and most viable solution." Duero said simply. "The human race had been reproducing itself from its beginnings, without the use of cloning techniques or advanced technology. In the natural way, genetic variation was assured. There was no danger of genetic drift, since genes were directly passed on to the next generation, without being disrupted by the artificial means that we use today. By my calculations and the projections provided from the ship's medical computer, within two to three generations, the genetic shift damage of the populace of both words would stabilize." 

"You mean... women and men would have to..." Buzom began. 

Magno nodded. "Hmmm, it seems that we are all coming full circle." 

"Captain, you don't really think that..." 

Magno cut her off by holding up a hand. "Buzom, for a long time, I had been thinking about the future of our two planets. Just recently, I had come to the conclusion that we could not continue to exist in this fashion. All of us, both males and females, were meant to live the way humans were supposed to, together! That was how it was before the First Generation, and I think it is high time that we lived that way again." 

"But Captain, the leaders of Mejele and Tarak won't agree to something like this! I don't think any of the people on both planets would agree either!" 

"Do you deny the evidence that the doctor has shown us?" 

"Well... I will admit that the proof Duero has shown is... very compelling, but still..." 

"I know BC. I didn't say that we were going to force anyone into this. However, I do know that there are many people on Mejele who do not agree with Lady Grand Ma. Lots of those individuals are idealistic and are willing to try new ideas. Look at Dita. She's probably the most open-minded person that I had ever met. I'm willing to wager that there are some men on Tarak who think the same way. In any case, at the very least, we must show the leaders and those who will listen that our future as it stands now, is destroying itself. Furthermore, children between our two worlds will help guide us to a better tomorrow. I'll admit that the progress would be slow, but if we could get even one pair to agree to this, then it will all be worth it." 

Duero nodded, then added, "Oh yes, Captain. There's one more thing that I should add. In addition to... ah, couplings between Tarak and Mejele, I would also highly recommend that an infusion of undamaged DNA be introduced into the... gene pool. This would not only ensure genetic variation, but it would also speed up the process of genetic stabilization." 

"Undamaged DNA?" Buzom wondered. 

Magno chuckled a bit. "What the good doctor means, is that we would need someone to be the father or mother, who had _NOT_ been born by Mejele or Tarak methods." 

"But, the only people who fit that requirement are the First Generation! Begging your pardon Captain, but they're all too old to be considered for parenthood." 

The elderly woman chuckled again as she wagged her winger at her First Mate. "You forget BC. We do have a source of undamaged DNA on the Nirvana." 

"Indeed." The doctor agreed. "He's already admitted that he's not from Tarak or Mejele and his clinical samples show no sign of genetic drift whatsoever." Duero then flashed an image of another strand of DNA sequencing, this time of a certain Tekkaman's. "He's in top physical condition and he's knowledgeable in the process of inter-gender procreation. Though I suspect he has his own reservations about... participating in this kind of venture." 

"I'll speak to Slade about it." Magno assured, then her expression took on a mischievous gleam. "I must say that since you men came on board, things certainly have gotten livelier and I expect things to get even _MORE_ interesting! Oh, by the way, Doctor?" 

"Yes?" 

"Since you've put so much effort into this research, I trust that you too shall be taking part in this venture as well? Do you have anyone in particular in mind for a partner?" 

Duero became a bit flustered, as he understood Magno's not-so-subtle inquiry. "Ahhhh, well I haven't actually... thought that far." 

The elderly woman chuckled, as she already knew about the physician's newfound relationship with Barnette and his previous association with Parfat. 

---------- 

Later... 

Slade sighed. The Tekkaman wanted to talk to someone who understood how he was feeling, and the kind of stress he was undergoing. Before he had joined up with the Nirvana, he had been traveling from planet to planet. He never stayed long in one place and rarely made any long-term relationships. However, that all changed when he became part of Vivian Magno's crew. Now he was constantly in the company of many attractive females, and since he had not been raised on a single-gender world, he often found himself at odds with his body's hormonal reactions to them. Things such as working out with the Warrior Squadron in the presence of their slender, athletic figures made him want to cry sometimes. It didn't help matters that Xian Pu usually... bounced with every move. Then there was the Register and all of those young girls in their short skirts, and shapely legs. Ukyo had a great set herself and the rest of her was well... stacked. Of course, there were also the three Dread pilots. Whenever he thought about Dita sitting in his lap, Meia leaning behind him, or Jura's chest being thrust up against him, he... 

_**DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!**_

_**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!** _

"What are you doing, D-Boy?" 

Slade looked up and chuckled nervously as he saw the aged captain standing beside him on his left. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he had not detected her presence. Then he looked to his other side and saw that his right hand was clenched into a fist and was in the center of a deep dent in the wall. It seemed that he had unintentionally taken his depression out on the Nirvana. 

He gulped a bit, as he withdrew his hand from the dent he had made in the metal. "Ah... sorry about that, Grandma. These days, I don't even know my own strength." 

"That's all right, young one. I'll have Parfat send over someone to fix that, though I would prefer if you refrain from causing any more damage, unless it's to the enemy." 

"Right." Slade nodded, then turned to head back to his room. 

"Hold on a moment, D-Boy." Magno called out to him. 

Slade stopped and looked over his right shoulder. "Yeah?" 

"I would like to speak with you for a few minutes, in private. Do you think you could spare the time?" 

"I guess." He shrugged, then started following the old woman to the Conference Room. 

---------- 

The Conference Room... 

As the two sat down opposite to each other at the table, the hundred-and-eight-year-old woman gave the Tekkaman a small smile. "So Slade, have you enjoyed being on this ship with us?" 

"Uhhh, it's been fine... I guess. I've got no complaints, except for that time Barnette started that mutiny, but that's past us now." 

"Good." The elderly woman nodded. "The well-being of the crew is always a concern of mine. Now I suppose I should tell you why I wanted to speak with you privately." 

"Okay, what is it?" 

Magno paused for a long while, then took a deep breath. "D-Boy... Slade, I've noticed over the past week or so, that you been feeling... oh, I don't know... restless and a bit... tense." 

"Well, saying that I'm tense would be an understatement." The Tekkaman admitted. 

The old woman nodded again. "Ah, I thought so." Then she asked out of the blue in a quick voice, "So how would you feel about having sex with Dita?" 

"_WAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!_" 

The question floored Slade, literally. He fell backward and landed on the floor with resounding crash. Magno was glad that the Conference Room was soundproof, and became a bit amused at how flustered her question had made the normally disciplined martial artist and space warrior. He immediately got his feet and slammed his hands on the table, nearly causing it to shatter. 

"_SAY WHAT?!_" 

Magno shrugged while smiling. "What? You think I don't _KNOW_ about the truth between men and women? I am one of the _FIRST_ generation, after all. By the way, you still haven't answered my question." 

The former Saotome became more flustered as his cheeks reddened and he began stuttering. "W-W-W-What are you saying? Y-Y-You mean... me a-a-a-and Dita..." 

Magno chuckled a bit, then began teasing him. "If you don't want Dita, then perhaps Meia or Jura? Xian Pu and Ukyo would also be fine choices for bedmates." 

"_WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!_ Slow down! What the _HELL_ are you talking about?!" Slade started frantically waving his hands. 

The pirate captain gave the young man a look that could be defined as... motherly. "Calm down Slade. I didn't mean to get you so worked up. I just couldn't resist teasing you. Now please, sit down and let me explain." 

Slade took several deep breaths to calm his nerves, then picked up the fallen chair and sat back down. 

Magno gave Slade's right shoulder a reassuring pat, then began speaking. "Slade, I've noticed that you've been getting very agitated, especially when you get in close proximity with various girls. Gascogne has told me that you've been trying to avoid touching some of the girls in the Register, especially with Ukyo. I've also noted that you've been letting Xian Pu lead the training sessions more often with the Warrior Squadron. In the beginning, you've had no problems with physical contact. I suppose it was because of the constant attacks of the Harvesters. Now with this lull in battle, you had more time to, shall we say... _NOTICE_ the fairer sex?" 

Slade winced at the word S-E-X, which caused Magno's smile to become more pronounced. 

"Ah, I thought so." The captain remarked then added. "Now I may be an old woman, but I _DO_ know about these things. After all, I grew up with those urges myself. In actuality, it was even harder for me when Mejele was founded and there were no men about to satisfy those feelings of mine." 

"You mean... you...?" 

Magno nodded. "Of course. However, the subject of this discussion is you, D-Boy. Judging from your reaction to my question, it's safe to assume that you don't have much experience in these matters, and that you've been denying these emotions for some time now. However, if you were to pursue a relationship with any of the girls aboard this ship, (actually, it might even be better if you have several), then I would fully approve of it." 

"You... would?" 

"One hundred percent! So which girl will it be?"

Slade was struck dumb. The captain actually _WANTED_ something to happen between him and one of the girls? She was more enthusiastic with multiple couplings? Just _WHAT_ was going on? 

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. No offense intended, but have you finally gone senile?!" 

Magno gave him another knowing smirk. "Now that wasn't a nice thing to say. Here I am, offering a sure-fire way for you to relieve your tension and you throw it back into my face. From what I remember, this was the best way for full-blooded males like you to relax! Nothing eases the tension like a little, old-fashioned..." 

"Don't get started! _I CAN'T DO THAT!_" 

"Why not? You don't know how?" 

"_OF COURSE I KNOW... ER, I MEAN... ARGH, THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!_" 

"Well if you know the mechanics, then I don't see the problem." The old woman shrugged her shoulders. 

"_I MAY KNOW, BUT THERE'S A HUNDRED AND FIFTY WOMEN ABOARD WHO DON'T KNOW! I CAN'T JUST... JUST..._" 

"Calm down Slade. There's no need to shout. So they'll have to learn from you, that's all." 

"Say what?!" 

Magno nodded. "It's as simple as that. I'm sure that you'll be able to teach them as easily as you did with the Warrior Squadron." 

"That's different!" Slade was getting even more agitated. 

"Oh, and I'm sure that Misty will be able to assist you as well, since she's also from before the First Generation." The captain added nonchalantly. "Maybe you two can demonstrate?" 

"Now you're going too far!" It was bad enough that Slade had to worry about the tension building up between Misty and Dita. "Why all the sudden this change, Grandma? A few months ago, you wouldn't have even suggested this thing, but now you're all for it?!" 

"Yes." 

"Why?" 

Magno took a deep breath before answering. "For two very important reasons. First of all, it is for the good of the crew. I've seen how much stress this is causing for you, so it would best for all concerned, if you were to expel it, before it began hampering your ability to defend the Nirvana." 

"Okay... I could understand that... I guess. So what's the second reason?" 

"The second reason... is more along a personal motive. You see... I've never had any children." 

"What?" 

"Yes. Since the day Mejele had been founded, I never once donated my DNA as an ohma, nor gave birth to a baby, as a fahma. For the last century, I had never experienced the joys of parenthood." 

"But... why?" 

"It was because I considered the new methods of making a baby to be... unnatural. To me, making a new life should be more than just a laboratory process. It should be born of love and trust between _MAN_ and _WOMAN_. It was the way I had been raised and unfortunately, I was forever denied the opportunity when Mejele began. However, though I have never started my own family, I consider each and every girl on this ship like my own daughter. And the most I want is to see at least some of them to be happy. You Slade, can make that happen." 

"Huh?" 

"Oh come on now Slade. You can be a bit thick sometimes, but even you aren't that dense! I have seen the look in many of the girls. They don't know what they're feeling towards you and they have no idea on how to act on those emotions. However, it very clear that you have snagged their heartstrings, whether you had intended to or not."

"But..." 

"No buts, Slade. You can only ignore nature's laws for so long. I'm not saying that you should just go wild and take every girl you see; (though that could be very interesting). What I'm saying is that you should not keep those feelings bottled up. It's unhealthy! And any number of those girls would be proud to have you as their child's ohma... or in the old days, father of their children. I like the notion of children aboard and it would be nice if Ezra's daughter had a few playmates." 

"But..." 

"Oh... you don't have to decide right away, Slade. There are over a hundred and fifty lovely ladies to choose from. Take your time to get to know them! You might find one or more girls to your liking. I never said that you had to choose one and only one." 

"What are you, my Mother?!" 

Vivian let off an amused cackle. "I would be the luckiest woman in the Universe if I had a son like you! You've won the hearts of so many! How manly you are!" She let off another cackle, making him reach his panic threshold. Slade found himself totally speechless, and was only saved when the combat alarm went off. 

The Tekkaman let off a sigh of relief as he got up and made his Tekkacrystal appeared. The way he was feeling at the moment, he could tear open a Harvester flagship with his bare hands. He needed to work off his stress. 

As he was leaving the Conference Room, Magno called out to him. 

"D-Boy. We'll finish this talk some other time." 

A chill went down his spine as he left the room. _Note to self. Avoid the Captain for a while and take a **REALLY** cold shower when I get back._

---------- 

Two days later, in the Register... 

"Three of a kind." 

"Full house." 

"Ah crud." Slade sighed as he chalked up another loss to the best card player on the Nirvana. 

"What's the matter D-Boy? You're losing faster than usual." Gascogne remarked as she reshuffled the cards. 

"I guess my mind's been too occupied lately." Slade replied with a sigh as he was dealt a new hand. "There's been a lot of things happening to me." 

"Like what?" 

"_MR. ALIEN!_" 

"_MY PRINCE CHARMING!_" 

"Case in point." Slade groaned, as two enthusiastic girls came running toward him. Misty was carrying a tray of sandwiches, while Dita was carrying a heaping pile of rice balls. Both girls arrived at the table where he was sitting at the same time. 

As soon as the girls saw one another, each glared daggers at the other, which set off a very heated argument. 

"Mr. Alien doesn't want to eat your moldy old bread! He prefers rice!" 

"Says you! He'll eat rat poison before he tries your cooking!" 

"What?! I'll have you know that Mr. Alien has enjoyed my cooking ever since he came aboard!" 

"Well maybe he'd like something different for a change! At least I know how to say his real name!" 

"You leave Mr. Alien alone!" 

"Make me!" 

"I will!" 

Slade sighed as he began inching away from the immediate danger zone. In a quiet whisper, he said to Gascogne, "We'll finish some other time." 

The two girls were too busy arguing with each other to notice that the object of their affection had left. At that point, they had started a massive food fight as sandwiches and rice balls began sailing through the air. 

---------- 

The gym... 

Slade sighed as he lay down and breathed out, while bench-pressing 2000 lbs. The machine was at its maximum weight setting, but that was considered a light warm-up to the Tekkaman's superhuman strength. As he began a series of fast reps, his mind wondered just what he was going to do. Ever since his talk with the captain, he had begun to become even more frustrated with his growing libido. Now he couldn't get the image of Dita and Misty's slender forms bouncing around when they ran to him. 

Speaking of bouncing, guess who just came into the gym, wearing a very skimpy leotard with a plunging neckline, and rode up a bit in the rear? 

"Helloooo there." 

Jura stood at the head of the machine and bent over to gaze down at him. At this point, with view he was getting, all the ice in an asteroid belt wouldn't have been enough to cool Slade off. His hands gripped the handlebars so tightly that his fingers began crushing the metal. 

_Crud. Did I do something bad in a previous life to be punished like this?!_

---------- 

Out in space... 

Rabat's ship drifted like a piece of flotsam. Various hydraulic fluids and gases periodically leaked from the numerous breaches in the hull. Both of the main drives were barely functional after taking several hard hits. Maneuvering thrusters were inoperative. The only thing that the interplanetary mercenary could hope for is to get his solar sail working so he could get some of his backup batteries recharged. Without propulsion, he and his associate would be doomed to aimlessly drift through the cosmos. 

Floating nearby were the remnants of the Harvester units that had tried to collect both the trader and his simian companion. The two had just barely managed to beat off the attack, but at a very high cost. The mecha frame, which had comprised the main weapons systems of their vessel, was only good for recyclable parts after Utan had exhausted the last of the ammo. They were now completely defenseless and should new Harvester units appear... 

Rabat gritted his teeth and worked hard at trying to activate his solar sail from an access panel outside of his ship. It was the utmost priority that he obtained some power, before his life-support gave out. Currently, he was wearing a space suit to save energy, as did his orangutan compatriot. The rest of the craft, save for the emergency systems, was totally shut down.

With a grunt, he pulled out a damaged cable relay and replaced it with one that Utan had salvaged off a destroyed Cube Fighter. Once in place, he punched in a specific code sequence into the manual activation mechanism. Slowly, but surely, a large, transparent sheet of metal opened above the bridge. He noted from the readings that the sail's power absorption rates were slow, most likely due to battle damage, but there was no help for it. He would have to wait until the ship had enough power to move and maintain life-support. He could only hope that the Harvesters would not find him until then. 

---------- 

In her room, Meia stared down at some articles of clothing that were laid out on her bed. As she gazed upon them, her thoughts went back to that time when she had been completely and utterly... useless. 

When Slade and the others had been trapped on that planet, she had worried herself sick over the fact that she could do nothing to help them. When she had heard of their ordeal and especially of how Slade had been prevented from transforming, she had worried that she could have lost him and never gotten to know him as well as Dita and Jura did. 

The Dread leader shook her head. Why was she getting all worked up over a man and especially when he was with other women? However, she couldn't help feeling so... angry whenever he paid attention to other females and not to her. Wasn't she just as attractive as they were? Didn't she merit as much time with him as Dita, Jura or anyone else? Wasn't she important to him? 

_What am I thinking?! Why am I getting these thoughts?! I'm starting sound like I'm jealous of Dita and Jura. No! I can't be jealous! Not over a man! It's not right! It's... it's... it's... argh!_

Meia stood up and began to pace her room while taking a few calming breaths. Inevitably, her thoughts went back to thinking about Slade and how little he seemed to notice her of late, especially since he returned from that planet and started avoiding all female contact. She also realized just how little she knew about him in comparison to Dita and Jura; the only other pilots who could form Tekkadreads with him. She felt a kind of connection with him since that day the Paksis Pragma had imploded. Whenever they combined, she had felt a kind of oneness with him. It was so difficult to describe, but it felt... right. 

She pondered over the situation for a long time, then decided to take the first step in getting to know him better. Purely to boost crew morale and cooperation, she convinced herself. However, in the back of her psyche, a little voice was calling her a liar. 

_Maybe... if I didn't look so... hard, he might talk to me more..._ She gazed at her image in a mirror and noted how her usual pilot's outfit looked so military. She then began undressing as she gazed back to the outfit on her bed. As she took off her jumpsuit, she didn't notice a brief flicker of light on her forehead, in the shape of a certain Tekkaman's crystal. 

---------- 

"Jura, wait a minute!" Slade gulped as he found himself being backed toward a wall. 

Jura smiled seductively as she began to corner her prey. The way she swayed her hips made him even more agitated. "What's the matter Slade? You can't be afraid of little me, are you?" 

_**THUMP! **_

Slade found himself pressed up against the wall with no escape route available. _Geez, since when did Jura learn how to... arrgh! This has got to stop!_ "Please, Jura... we can't just do this... I'm begging you! Don't do..." 

"You know, for a man, you are just so darned _CUTE_ when you're like this." 

"Really? I mean... whoa! Hold on a minute!" 

The blonde seductively traced a well-manicured finger across his chest, which was currently clad in just a white muscle shirt. She giggled a bit as his pectorals quivered from her feathery touch, then pressed her ample bosom against him. 

"W-W-W-What about Barnette?" Slade stuttered out as he tried to make his limbs work again. However, they currently had the consistency of wet noodles with Jura's... assets in full view and in contact with his own chest. 

Jura let off a little sigh, then gave him a rueful smile. "Barnette seems to be interested in the doctor, and we haven't been seeing each other much since that last mission on that desert world. We've talked it over and decided that we needed to... explore our new feelings." 

"Feelings?" 

"Yes. We... have never felt this way before, especially with a man. And yet, it feels... so right. I can't explain it, but I feel so warm and natural being with you. Those... sensations became stronger when we were stranded on that world. I haven't forgotten about those kisses." 

Slade swallowed hard. He hadn't forgotten about those kisses either. 

Jura continued on as her arms began to snake around his neck and pulled him closer. "And when we got back, I began digging into the old sections of the ship. And guess what I found?" She said the last part in a singsong voice. 

Slade was _REALLY_ nervous at that point. _I wonder what she found... oh no! She didn't..._

"I came across some old video records like the ones you found last Christmas. But they were about how men and women produced children naturally." 

Uh oh. 

---------- 

Flashback... 

"Hmmm, what is this?" Jura wondered as she poked around the old sections of the former Ikazuchi. The areas had been untouched since that time at Christmas, but with Jura's determination to have Slade's child, the rooms had been reopened. 

She was now standing beside a large box with several videocassettes in it. Using the same player that Slade had used before, but this time making certain that the images wouldn't be transmitted all over the ship, she began watching the first of the tapes. 

Her eyes instantly became the size of saucers as she beheld a man and a woman, both nude and were engaged in the act of...

Woman: "I like the way you do that." 

Man: "Would you like some more?" 

Woman: "Oh yes!" 

Jura gasped as certain noises were heard, followed by certain intimate acts... 

Woman: "Mmmmmmm." 

Man: "I can't wait much longer!" 

Woman: "Yes! Oh please! Take me now!" 

Man: "Now?" 

Woman: "Yes now! Ravage me!" 

Jura gulped as she saw a particular movement by the man, which made the woman... 

Woman: "Mmmm, don't stop baby!" 

Man: "Why would I want to stop?" 

Woman: "Yes, yes, yes!" 

Man: "God, you're _SO_..." 

Woman: "YES_! LIKE THAT! I LOVE IT! OOOOOOH! MORE! MORE!_" 

Man: "_I CAN'T HOLD..._" 

Woman: "_MORE! MORE! DON'T EVER STOP!_" 

Man: "_I CAN'T STOP IT. I'M GOING TO..._" 

Woman: "_ME TOO!_" 

Both participants suddenly screamed at the top of their lungs. Jura felt like screaming herself, but not in horror as certain parts of her body became _REALLY_ warm... and wet. Then the couple sighed in bliss in the aftermath. 

_So... that's how it was done! Mmmmm... very interesting. Ooh, now what are they doing?_

Jura remained glued to the screen as she played through the entire video. She then got an image of herself with Slade in the same positions. 

---------- 

End of Flashback... 

_Oh no! She found **THOSE** kinds of videos._

"They certainly looked _VERY_ happy." She purred as she leaned closer. 

"So... you know about that... er... stuff?" 

"Mmm-hmm! And now that I _DO_ know..." She leaned forward until her lips were mere centimeters from his. 

"Jura! Please! You can't just..." 

The blonde shook her head. This was what she truly wanted. She wanted a baby, Slade's baby... and Slade. And now... 

"Don't...Mmmmmpf!" 

Too late. 

As their lips pressed up against each other, the Tekkaman felt his own resolve begin to crumble. He had been denying his natural instincts for too long and now his body decided to ignore the protests of his mind and responded to the heart. His hands came down to Jura's waist and encircled it, pulling her closer to him. His harder, muscled form reveled in the contact of her suppler one. The warmth she was radiating began merging with his own. Unknown to both of them, their foreheads began to glow simultaneously with light... in the shape of Slade's Tekkacrystal. 

However, images of Meia and Dita began to enter into his mind. He had started to get close to those two as well, ever since the journey had begun. It seemed as if he was connected to all three of them. That was the reason why he was able to form the Tekkadreads. However, he had been feeling much more lately, which had contributed to his inability to become more... intimate with any of them. He felt deep in his heart that he was hurting Dita and Meia by doing this, yet he didnt want to hurt Jura by refusing. When Jura began using her tongue to probe his mouth, that was when he was shocked back to reality. 

Jura was suddenly, but firmly pushed away as Slade bowed his head in what appeared to be shame. The light on both his forehead and hers faded. 

"W-W-What is it? Did I do... something wrong?" 

The cosmic warrior sighed as he shook his head. "No. You did nothing wrong... It's me. I can't just... I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for this yet." 

"But..." 

"Don't tell anyone of this... okay?" 

Slade picked up his jacket and walked away from a confused Dread Pilot. 

---------- 

The space warrior stood in the observation lounge, which was currently deserted. He leaned against the railing and stared at the background of stars as they whizzed by like tiny streaking comets. His mind was a jumbled mess of conflicting emotions as he tried to make sense of what was happening and just what the future lay in store for him. It was then that he sensed the presence of someone coming toward him from behind. He tensed up as he heard light footsteps approach to where he was and stopped a few feet behind him. 

"Hello Slade." 

The martial artist and Tekkaman took a deep breath to calm himself, then turned around to address the familiar voice. "Hello... Meia?" His eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped as he beheld Meia... in a dress? 

The Dread pilot smiled shyly as she stood before him in a modest, yet appealing white sundress with thin straps that displayed her smooth white shoulders. The top molded well to her bosom and made Slade nervous. The hem of her dress came down to about below her knees, but he could still see that she had very slender calves. She wore a pair of low-heeled shoes that fit well on her feet. The most striking thing about her was that she was not wearing the metal circlet on her head and face. This allowed the Tekkaman to see and appreciate her face, which was oval-shaped and possessed a striking pair of light aqua-colored eyes. 

"Uh..." 

"You like it?" The girl asked. 

Since his vocal cords were still unresponsive, Slade nodded. 

Meia turned slowly from one side, then to the other, giving him a full view of the ensemble. She blushed slightly as she said, "It's something that I've had for a while, but I didn't have much of a reason to put it on... until now." 

Oh boy. 

---------- 

Later... 

Slade sighed as he plodded back to his quarters. His encounter with Meia had been very trying and now the Tekkaman was at the end of his rope. Seeing the usually serious Dread pilot in a dress had almost made him lose control, but he had toughed it out and just barely held onto his sanity. 

Meia had been very inquisitive and had asked him questions of a personal nature, such as his hobbies, his likes and dislikes and what he really thought about her. Since when was she so nosy? And when he had responded that he thought of her as a very good friend, the blue-haired girl showed some signs of... disappointment? That was a first. 

Slade sighed again as he neared his quarters. If he were to see another girl at this moment... 

"Mr. Alien?" 

Slade slumped down a bit as he sighed for the umpteenth time and turned around. 

Is something wrong, Mr. Alien? Dita asked with a smile as she held out a tray of homemade brownies. Maybe this will cheer you up! 

---------- 

The captain's quarters... 

Jura? What brings you here? Magno asked as the tall blonde entered the room with a forlorn look about her. The elderly woman had been reading one of her favorite books, which dated back to the Colony Era. It's title was Little Women. 

Captain... I need to ask you something. Its kind of personal. Jura began. 

THe aged female put down her book and turned to face her. Oh? As captain of this ship, the well-being of my crew is always one of my top priorities. Sit down and tell me all about it. 

After Jura had seated herself in another chair, she became even more nervous as she tried to think of the best way to put her thoughts into words. Finally, after a minute of silence and some gentle prodding from Magno, she spoke. Captain... you're one of the First Generation, right? 

Yes I am. Do you have a question concerning that time? 

Something like that. You know how it was between men and women, before Mejele and Tarak, right? 

Well, it's been a long time, but I still remember (ahem) certain things about men. Does your problem have anything to do with a man? _Like a certain Tekkaman I know of?_ Magno mentally added. 

Juras cheeks took on an intense pink. Yeah... you could say that. The thing is... I want to know... how to make a man... want to do... something with me. 

Do _WHAT_ with you? Magno prodded with a knowing grin. 

Well... I found this visual record in the old parts of the ship... 

---------- 

Mmmm, these are good. Slade commented as he finished off the entire tray of brownies. Then he gazed down at the crumbs and sighed. Aw sorry. I should offered you some. 

The red-haired girl remained cheerful as she shook her head. Oh no, Mr. Alien! They were all for you! I know how hungry you can get, especially after a battle. I just wanted to make sure you had enough energy. Besides it makes me happy to see you eat. 

Uh, yeah thanks. Though I kind of wish my Tekkaman powers didn't require so much energy. I must be putting a real strain on the ship's food supplies. 

That's okay, Mr. Alien! Dita said. The way you smash, crash and blam those bad aliens makes it worth it. I wish I had your powers! 

Huh? Why would you want to be like me? 

Are you kidding? The way you fight the enemy is _SO_ awesome! I'd love to able to fly like you and go _WHOOSH_ and _CRASH_ and _KAPOWIE_! Parfat says that she might be able to discover the source of your powers. 

Yeah, so what? 

So, if you knew the source of your powers, maybe you can give me some! 

Slade took on a hardened look, which made Dita stop daydreaming. After a long moment of silence, he said, Trust me. You wouldn't want them. 

Huh? Why not? 

Being a Tekkaman isn't all it's cracked up to be. Having these powers means having a huge burden and... 

And what, Mr. Alien? 

And... I don't know why, but I have this feeling that my Tekkaman powers have cost me dearly. I think they may have something to do with the fact that I can't remember my past. I feel that I had lost something important, but I can't remember what. The more I know about the Tekkaman Power System, the more uneasy I get. After what I learned from Misty's data capsule and on Delta Six, I can't help but think that something dark and evil is coming... 

---------- 

Earth... 

Our operatives and our new weapon will be entering the sector within a few hours, Leader. All is going according to plan. 

Excellent. Soon our Nirvana nuisance shall be no more, and it's all thanks to our Paksis. 

Deep within the bowels of the main Mega-Battleship, the other Paksis prototype hummed in silence. On the outside, it seemed to be dormant. In its core however, certain energies began to build as an ancient essence began to convalesce. Unknown to even the Earth Leaders, the Paksis was not entirely under their control as it began to follow an agenda that had been set long ago. Its long wait would soon be over. 

To be continued... 

Author's Notes 

Well that was a long one! I hope you enjoyed this part of chapter 6. In part 2, Slade and the Nirvana will be encountering new adversaries and some new surprises as they encounter the Earth's newest Tekkamen. See you there! 


	11. Chapter 6, Part 2: Out With the Old

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: You'd think by now I'd learn! 

: Thoughts 

**Chapter 6**

**Part 2**

**Out With the Old...**

"How far away are we from Mejele and Tarak?" Magno asked as the Nirvana continued on its voyage through space. 

Buzom nodded as she indicated their position on the main monitor. "Due to that incident on that desert world, and the increasing number of enemy attacks since then, we have been substantially delayed and our ETA has been changed from two weeks to four." 

The aged pirate captain sighed. She had hoped that they would reach their home worlds before the Harvesters did. Though they had sent message pods to the all-female and all-male planets beforehand, they had not received any indications that pods had been received. They would have to assume the worst that the information had either never reached those planets or they had been received and ignored. She shuddered to think what would happen to the people if the Harvesters beat them to Mejele and Tarak. No one should be subjected to such horror. 

----------

In space...

Rabat swallowed hard and felt an icy chill run down his spine. Who wouldn't at the sight of a Seed Ship? 

The mercenary and his simian companion had been slowly making their way to the nearest inhabited planet when the long-range sensors had picked up the Harvester craft. However, with the ship operating at minimal power and no weapons, they couldn't do anything to save themselves. They couldn't even flee, as the solar sail did not allow for evasive maneuvers or speed. They could only watch helplessly as the Seed Ship closed in on them. 

When the craft got to within five hundred meters of them, its front opened up and metallic tendrils shot out from within to skewer the craft. The solar sail was perforated and the hull was skewered in several places. Several Cube Fighters were released to begin cutting into the ship to retrieve the human prize. At the same time, the vessel was pulled through the wide opening of the Seed Ship. 

It is said that in the airless vacuum of space, no one could hear you scream. However, if it were possible for sound to carry through the star-studded void, the listener's blood would run cold at hearing Rabat's horrified voice as he finally received his long-overdue comeuppance. 

----------

Meanwhile...

"Is something the matter, Slade?" Duero asked as he performed his regular physical examination of the Tekkaman. 

"You seem... distracted." Slade gave the doctor a whimsical expression. _Other than the fact that Magno wants me to go forth and multiply, that Jura is 'hot to trot,' Meia is wearing dresses and Dita being... Dita, no I don't have any reason to be distracted._ Rather than voicing out his thoughts, he instead replied, "Well... things have been getting... kind of confusing lately." 

"Confusing?" 

Slade sighed as he tried to explain. "Did you ever get the idea that you thought you knew somebody, then he or she does a total personality flip on you?" 

"Hmmm." Duero began to understand what his friend was getting at. He had been hearing rumors about Slade's encounters with various girls on the ship. Two females in particular had also repeatedly confronted the doctor in ways that were... incomprehensible. "I take it you've been having... how would you call it... girl problems?" 

"That's putting it mildly." The Tekkaman replied as he saw the comprehension in the doctor's expression. "So... can I assume that you know about... it?" 

He nodded. "Yes, I have knowledge about that process. I finally... found some data on the subject." He thought back to his conversation with the Captain about the problem of genetic drift. He knew how uncomfortable Slade was about talking about the subject of natural procreation and he had only recently learned of the actual process. (Guess who found the tape after Jura had viewed it?) After _SEEING_ the act of natural procreation, the Tarak man experienced a new sensation, the spontaneous nosebleed. It took him a while to get used to the idea, though it terrified and fascinated him at the same time. What was most surprising thing, was the fact that he had begun imagining himself performing the same acts with Barnette and Parfat... simultaneously! 

He then leaned forward and whispered a few things into his patient's ear. 

Slade gulped slightly, then nodded and sighed. He was somewhat relieved that he could talk to another man about it now. "Yeah, that was it all right. Kind of blows all the ideas you learned on Tarak away, doesn't it?" 

----------

On Earth...

"We have just received word that one of our scouting forces had encountered the traitor Rabat." 

"And...?" One of the council members inquired. 

"And we have lost contact with those units since then." The subordinate replied. 

The leaders of Earth considered the new information, then decided that it was of little consequence if the mercenary had survived or not. They had bigger fish to fry. The Nirvana was now being tracked heading toward a point in which their new Tekkamen were waiting, along with another surprise. Soon, the only obstacles to the Harvest operation would be eliminated. All they had to do was wait. 

---------

The Nirvana...

"Three queens." Gascogne said as she laid down her hand. 

Slade sighed as he laid down his hand. The head supplier shook her head while smiling when she saw it. He had a king of hearts, a two of diamonds, a two of spades and a two of clubs. "Three twos, eh? Oh well." She began reaching for the poker chips, but was stopped when Slade placed a hand on hers. 

"Not so fast." 

"Now, now D-Boy. Three queens beats three deuces. Don't be a sore loser." 

Slade then smirked as he said, "It's Slade, not D-Boy. And who's being a sore loser? Take another look." He then revealed a card that was under the two of clubs. It was a card with a funny-looking clown on its surface. 

"_WHAT THE?! A JOKER?!_" Gascogne's eyes widened in disbelief. 

"And that gives me four-of-a-kind. I win." The Tekkaman smiled in triumph as he raked in his winnings. 

"I don't believe this! _YOU_ actually beat me?! _I must be losing my touch!_ Gascogne thought. 

Slade shrugged while smiling. "Well, after losing a million times in a row, I had to get the hang of this game _SOONER_ of later. Besides, after all those times that I lost, I picked up on a few things about you, which are dead giveaways on how you play." 

"Oh? And here I thought I had the poker face down pat." 

"Well, you're good, but you do have a bit of a habit of playing with your left earring whenever you have a potentially good hand. You also tend to tap your right foot slightly whenever you decide to draw some new cards. Your left eye just twitches ever so slowly whenever you decide to bluff." 

Gascogne considered his words for a moment, then nodded. "I'm impressed D-Boy. You learned how to read your opponent's body language." She then added a bit of a stinging jab, though with a cheerful grin. "And it only took you nine months to win one game." 

Slade chuckled with a sheepish grin. "I may be really slow when it comes to learning cards, but I _DO_ learn." 

"Good." The muscular woman nodded as she watched Slade shuffle the cards for the first time since he came aboard the Nirvana. "Now that I've got myself a worthy opponent, it's time for me to stop playing around and get more serious." 

Slade developed a very large sweatdrop before dealing out the cards. _Maybe I should have let her win?_

---------

Later...

Slade sighed as he walked back to his quarters. Gascogne wasn't kidding when she said was going to play more seriously from now on. After her first upset, she went on to beat him twenty games straight. He had only managed to win two more hands after that before he decided to call it quits. 

On a whim, he decided to change direction and take a stroll through the Bio Park. As he walked along the bank of the artificial lake, he noticed a certain someone standing near the edge of the water. 

"Doc?" 

The good physician had been deep in contemplation when he heard his voice. He turned and nodded to the Tekkaman as he approached. 

"Slade, I was just thinking about going to see you." 

"Oh? Well, I guess I saved you the trip." Slade stood beside the physician and looked out toward the water. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" 

"It's about... how should I put it?" 

"Just say it." Slade said firmly. 

Duero took a deep breath, then said, "Although I now know the basics on... natural procreation, I still feel that I am... lacking in certain areas." 

"Doc, give it to me straight. Forget all that scientific mumbo-jumbo and don't beat around the bush." Slade stated with some irritation. 

"Beat around the bush? What does physical violence to vegetation have to do...?" 

"Never mind that! Just say it!" 

Duero paused for a long while and then finally asked his question. "How do I go about handling a girl who wants to... have _SEX_ with me?" 

Though the Tekkaman had a feeling that McFile's question would pertain to his new discovery about male/female relations, it was still quite a shock to actually hear the good doctor ask him about such a personal subject. What was more unnerving was that he was at a loss to answer. 

----------

Meanwhile...

"Estimated time of arrival of the Nirvana to this sector?" A certain individual asked as he and his comrades rode in the belly of one of Earth's Motherships. 

"Approximately one hour." One of his associates replied. 

"And our new weapon?" 

"Though I do not think it would be necessary, it is primed and ready, as are we. Final orders?" 

"Destroy them all." 

----------

The Nirvana...

"What the Hell brought this on?!" Slade asked as Duero developed a very deep blush on his cheeks. That fact alone constituted as unusual. 

"Well... " The physician began slowly as he attempted to put his thoughts into words. "It's because of a certain... incident that happened to me..." 

----------

Flashback to his quarters...

Duero nodded as he replied to the door signal, which meant that someone was waiting on the other side. 

"Enter." 

"Hi Duero." 

He nodded to the familiar voice and turned around. 

"Hello Par... fat?" Duero stopped in mid-greeting as he saw the Nirvana's engineer, in a low-cut dress and high-heels? 

By most standards, Parfat was considered to have a petite figure, with her small stature and slender frame. With her hair usually done up in two thick braids and her oversized spectacles, her normal appearance was considered as average and rather plain, until one took a closer look. For the Tarak doctor, he had always put his patient's health before their outward appearance, but he never truly realized the hidden beauty of the quiet girl... until now. 

The brown-haired female was wearing a set of high-heeled pumps which increased her height by about three-inches. The top of her head now came to Duero's shoulders. Though the physician thought that the footwear was improper and seemed extremely uncomfortable, at same time, he thought they somehow made her more... elegant. Once again, she had let her hair down and wasn't wearing her glasses. This time he noticed that she had a very striking pair of green eyes. Without those oversized lenses, her face seemed softer. Since she didn't bump into the doorway on her way in and her eyes were not squinting, he correctly assumed that she was wearing contacts. Then the Tarak male saw that the slit on one side of her red, silk dress, (though for the life of him, he couldn't understand why it was there), allowed him a good view of her left calf. His gaze traveled up and he couldn't help, but notice how tiny her waist was. Then he saw that the front of her dress was cut low, allowing him a good view of her... 

_I've seen them before, but I never realized that they were so... it must be the dress._ Duero swallowed hard and shook his head, trying to sort out the jumbled mess his mental faculties had just become. Why did it feel so hot all of a sudden? Taking a deep breath, he quickly stood up and asked, "Parfat, what brings you here?" 

The engineer took on a bit of a coy, yet shy expression as she took a few tentative steps toward him with her hands behind her back. She tried to look as demure as possible. Duero just found it to be puzzling. 

"Well... I wanted to see you." 

"Well, you could have come to the Sick Bay and..." 

"No, I don't mean to see you like that." Parfat then began to unconsciously twiddle her fingers. "I meant... see _YOU_." 

"I'm... not too sure that I understand." 

"Well... I kind of thought... we might... you know? Kind of go out together? Maybe... take a stroll in the Bio Park?" 

Duero was taken completely by surprise by Parfat's sudden initiative. She had always been such a quiet, unassuming individual. Then he began to recall what Slade had told him about the ritual that he called a 'date.' He cleared his voice and said, "Are you... inviting me to go on a... date?" 

Parfat's blush became even redder as she bowed her head a little. "You... know what a date is?" 

"Well, Slade did mention it to me before, and I do know of some couples on Tarak, who do go on outings with each other. So, you want to go out with me?" 

"Ah... yeah. So do you want to?" 

Before Duero could answer, there was another ring at his door. By reflex, he bid for the person to enter, and who should be standing at the entrance, but a certain Dread pilot... dressed in an outfit that could have been part of Jura's wardrobe. (And it wouldn't have been surprising if she had borrowed it from her).

Barnette was decked out in a variation of a halter-top with flaring long sleeves and skintight leggings that hugged at her hips, derrière, and legs. Her abdomen was bare, which gave both Parfat and the doctor a good view of her flat tummy and well-shaped abdominal muscles. The top cradled her breasts and it seemed as if her bosom was about to burst from its confines. In her hands was a tray of food that she had just prepared. 

"Hi. I just whipped up a new recipe and I thought you'd like to try..." 

It was at that moment that Barnette's eyes locked with Parfat's. The two girls simultaneously looked at each other's appearance and said at the exact same moment... 

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!_" 

----------

End of flashback...

"After that, things became... intense." Duero finished. 

Slade had a very large sweatdrop after the physician had finished with his story. He began having flashbacks of his own encounters with Jura, Meia and Dita. "You too, huh?" 

"Excuse me?" 

Sigh took a deep sigh then motioned for Duero to sit down beside him near the bank of the Bio Park's lake. This was going to take a while. 

----------

A little later...

"It's still... hard for me to accept the fact that both Barnette and Parfat wish to become more... intimate... with me." 

"Yeah well, this isn't the kind of thing that most people are prepared for." Slade replied, then noted Duero's hesitancy. "I know you're unsure about all this. Heck, I know all about it and it _STILL_ makes me uncomfortable sometimes, even though a big part of me is telling me, 'give in stupid!' (1) And with Magno now telling me to go for it, Jura going after me with gusto, Meia wearing dresses, Dita and Misty going at each other throats, and Ukyo and Xian Pu giving me really funny looks, I'm being pushed to my limit." 

Duero nodded. "It's a kind of feeling that I have never felt before. Usually, whenever I come across a problem of a biological nature, I can analyze it and have it tested. But with this..."

"This kind of thing isn't an exact science, Doc, because it deals with the heart, not the head. And it really doesn't make it easier when you feel for the person, or in this case people, in question, right?" 

"Yes. I feel somewhat... torn. If I were to... ah, respond, to the overtures of one girl, then the other might feel as if she had been rejected. And I could not think of causing either one of them any sadness. They've both become important to me." 

"Really?" 

"Yes. You see, when I first came aboard the Nirvana, not many of the females would even come close to me, except for Parfat. She was the only one who was willing to spend time with me and helped me become a part of the crew. Then after that mission on that desert world, Barnette has become... how do I put it, more amicable toward me?" 

"Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise to everyone, considering that she started a mutiny over her hatred of men. What exactly happened out there during those two days?" 

Duero blushed again, as he was about to reply. It was at that moment that the battle alert sounded. 

Both men sighed as they got up to head to their stations. 

"We'll pick up this conversation later, Doc." 

----------

On the bridge of the Nirvana...

"Report." Magno commanded as she and her First Officer gazed upon the main monitor. 

Celtic Midori nodded as she replied. "Enemy formation consists of several dozens of Cube Fighters, thirty or so Seed Ships and... one battle cruiser." 

This made the entire bridge crew shudder as they remembered back to when they had faced off against one of those behemoths. Inside the Navigation Well, Bart Garsus began to break out into a cold sweat. 

In the captain's chair, Magno began getting that feeling that something was just not right. They were certainly facing off against formidable numbers and another one of those Earth Motherships, but she couldn't help but suspect that the Harvesters had something up their demented sleeves. 

----------

Earth...

"Battle Cruiser A-4 has just encountered the Nirvana." One of the council members declared. 

The head of the council nodded. "Destroy them all." 

----------

Deep within the bowels of the planet that had once been the homeworld of all humankind, the counterpart of the Nirvana's Paksis glowed inside a huge vessel. Its energies pulsated in a kind of erratic pattern as it sensed the coming conflict with its other half. 

Like the Nivana's Paksis, the Harvesters' also had its own mysteries. For the past few centuries, it had been obeying its Earth masters without question, ever since it had been wrested first from its original owners, the Radam, then from the Radam's conquerors. However, the Harvesters had no real inkling of the Paksis' primary objective as the ancient essence within its crystalline structure continued to grow in power. For now, it would do as the Harvesters commanded as their goals coincided with its own. 

But afterwards... 

----------

The Nirvana...

"Slade, wait up!" 

The Tekkaman turned to face Jura as the blonde Dread pilot came up to him in the main hanger. "What is it, Jura? We're on battle alert!" 

"I need to talk to you." Barnette's friend said as she took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. 

"Make it quick, we're supposed to be in formation with the others!" 

"All right. We've been through a lot, haven't we?" 

"Well, yeah we all have! Look can't this wait until...?" 

"No please! Let me finish! You know how much I want to have a baby... your baby." 

"Oh no, not this again! Look, I know how much having a baby by a man would mean to you and all, but this is no time to think about becoming famous or..." 

"No." 

"Huh?" 

Jura took on a more determined expression. "I said no. That's not the reason why I want a baby... now." 

"But I thought..." 

"Well, you thought wrong. I may have wanted a baby from a man for that reason in the beginning, but now... I want a baby from you because..." Jura became a bit hesitant as her thoughts went back to a certain conversation she had with the captain... 

----------

Flashback...

Magno chuckled after Jura had finished describing her last encounter with Slade. The blonde pilot was somewhat embarrassed and confused at the entire ordeal. 

"What's so funny?" 

"Forgive me, Jura. I was just imagining the look on D-Boy's face when you tried to... ah, follow your natural instincts." 

"My natural instincts?" Magno nodded as she took a deep breath. "Jura, when you found out about the truth between men and women... what did you think of it?" 

"Well..." Jura's cheeks took on a pink tinge as she remembered the video. "It was very... interesting and..." 

"And?" The older woman pressed. 

"And... I couldn't stop thinking about it and I kept seeing myself and Slade... doing it." She said the last in a barely audible whisper. 

"So you didn't find it disgusting or repulsive?" When Jura shook her head, Magno nodded. "So why did you want to do it with Slade?" 

"Because... that's how babies were made between men and women and..." Jura began to twiddle her fingers nervously. "... it looked... like it was pleasurable." 

"Well, yes it usually is, but why do you want a baby with Slade? You can get either the doctor or Bart to assist you." 

"_NO!_ It must be Slade's!" Jura said resolutely. 

Magno was taken aback by Jura's reply, then smiled again. _Well, well, well._ "And why must it be his?" 

"Because..." 

"Yes?"

Jura paused for a long time as she pondered why she was so determined to have Slade's baby, when it could have been easier to simply ask for Duero or Bart's seed. She just couldn't think of using any other man's seed. Finally, she answered. "I... don't know why I want to have only his baby. I just know... that I _REALLY_ want it." 

"More than anything else?" 

Jura paused again, then nodded. 

"I see." Magno's smile became a little more prominent. "I must say that things have gotten _VERY_ interesting since he and the other men came aboard." 

"So... what can I do? I've tried to get him to... you know? But he keeps on turning me away. The last time, I thought he would... but..." 

"Before I give you any advice on this problem, I must ask you a few questions Jura, and you must answer me honestly. First of all, what do you think of Slade? How does he make you feel?" 

Jura did a lot of hemming and hawing, before her captain pressed her to reply. "It's... funny you know? When he first came on board, I thought of him as just like any other man. I thought Dita always chasing him was stupid and I didn't think much of him. He can be bossy, harsh and abrasive at times, but... he kind of grew on me. He's always given me support when I needed it. He's talented and he's brave. He always fought by our side and... when he kissed me that first time, I felt something that I never felt before. Can a woman actually _FEEL_ that way for a man?" 

"Yes she can. So do you like him a lot?" 

"Yes... I _REALLY_ like him a lot now." 

"You like him enough to want to spend the rest of your life with?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Come now, Jura. If you were to have his baby, then don't you think he would want to take part in raising that child? And making a child between a man and woman is not as simple, since that baby will not only be a part of you, but a part of _HIM_ as well. It's extremely emotional, far more so than the artificial means, in which babies are born on Mejele and Tarak. I believe I know enough about D-Boy, to think that he would take his position as an ohma, or should I say father, very seriously." 

Jura considered Magno's words for a long time. She then said with a slight smile, "You know, having Slade by my side for the rest of my life wouldn't be so bad. Actually, I would welcome it." She shook her head in frustration then bowed her head. In a quiet voice, she added. "I'm so confused, Captain." She then raised her head to face the elderly woman with some slight moisture in her eyes. "I shouldn't even be thinking of this, but I can't stop! I want Slade's baby! I want... _HIM_! What's _WRONG_ with me?!" She felt the tears begin to roll down her cheeks. 

The ancient pirate captain reached over to bring her close and gave her a gentle hug. She then patted Jura on shoulder to console her, then brought her back out to arm's length with a motherly expression on her face. "There's nothing wrong with you, Jura. You're just starting to rediscover what was lost more than a hundred years ago. I'm also seeing signs of it with some of the other girls as well. From the looks of things, I'd say you're feeling this way about Slade because..." 

----------

End of flashback...

"Because of what, Jura?" 

Slade's prodding brought the blonde back to reality as she looked up at the Tekkaman. Before she could answer, another alarm went off, signaling that the Harvester attack had begun and that all pilots were needed to fend them off. 

Jura turned about and ran toward her Dread. As she departed, she called back to Slade. "It's nothing! We'll talk after the battle!" 

Slade shook his head as he ran off toward the nearest airlock. 

Jura watched him go from the cockpit of her Dread as she prepared to launch. 

_I won't say it... not just yet._

----------

Meia gritted her teeth as her Dread banked hard to evade a group of Cube Fighters. She let loose with a blast from her forward lasers, vaporizing a pair of the enemy units. She looked about in the background of stars, missile trails, energy bolts, explosions and fighters of both sides. She saw several of her wingmates and Vanguards taking on the waves of Cube Fighters, there no sign of a certain crimson Dread, an enhanced Vanguard or a Tekkaman. Just then, out of the corner of her right eye, she saw a flash of emerald green emerge from the Nirvana. 

"It's about time!" 

Slade transformed to his Tekkaman form and began engaging the enemy. A minute later, Jura's Dread came onto the scene along with Pegas close behind. 

"Where were you?!" 

"Sorry about the delay." Slade apologized as he slashed through five Cube Fighters, then began directing the Warrior Squadron with certain signals, using his lance. The female Vanguard pilots understood his commands and began flying in looping patterns. A large number of Cube Fighters began to become confused by the sudden change of tactics and soon began to become massed in one section of space. 

The Dread pilots immediately caught onto the new maneuvers, and began positioning themselves on either side of the gathering of enemy ships. When they were sufficiently bunched up, the Vanguards broke away from them and that's when Slade came charging toward them on Pegas. His shoulder units rose and he opened fire. 

"_VOLTEKKER!_" 

The quantum energy-powered beam tore through the ranks of Harvester units and reduced them to scrap. Those that managed to evade obliteration found themselves in the gun-sights of the Dreads and Vanguards. More were blasted into oblivion as a path toward the Earth Mothership was made. 

Meia saw the route that Slade had made and pounced on the opportunity. She contacted Dita, Barnette, and Jura and began leading in delta formation toward their objective. Slade, Pegas and the Warrior Squadron followed close behind with the other Dreads providing cover. Behind them, the Nirvana started firing as well. 

----------

On the bridge of the pirate vessel, the crew were happy to see that their side was winning. However, both the Captain and the her First Officer were suspicious. 

"No. This is too easy." Magno said as she watched the Nirvana's fighters take to the offensive.

BC nodded. "Yes. The Earth Mothership isn't firing back. Only the other ships are defending. It would have never let our fighters get this close to it. It took just about everything we had to destroy the first one."

"And after that battle, I would have expected the Earth forces to have developed countermeasures to our tactics and the upgraded Tekkadreads. It's almost as if they _WANT_ our fighters closer, as if they were luring them into..." 

At that moment, Misty gasped as her sensors detected a huge energy surge coming from the Earth Battle Cruiser. 

----------

"All fighters break formation!" Meia cried out as she saw the bow of the Earth Mothership begin to glow. The Dreads and Van-Types immediately scattered and the Tekkaman rejoined with his Tekkabot to prepare for a destructive barrage. However, instead of a wave of destructive energy being released, the front instead... split open? 

Like a huge whale opening its maw, the huge battleship's face became exposed. The remaining Cube Fighters and Seed Ships distanced themselves from it as something began to emerge from the inside. 

----------

On the bridge of the battleship, the commander of the forces growled as he turned to his comrades. 

"I still don't know why we even brought this thing." One of his associates commented. "Between the three of us and the power of the fleet, we could have easily wiped them all out!"

The commander snorted as he responded. "Hmpf! Those pompous leaders wanted to see their new toy in action. So we'll just let it soften them up before we eradicate them all from the face of the universe." 

----------

"_JURA!_" Slade cried out as he sped toward her Dread. 

The blonde pirate nodded as she directed her fighter to rendezvous with the Tekkaman. In a flash of light, the two fused together to form Tekkadread Jura. The crab immediately put up its planet-protecting barrier to its utmost intensity as both Slade and Jura braced for the worst. Nearly all of the Dreads and Vanguards were within the shield. 

Suddenly, a huge beam of purest crimson was fired from within the bowels of the Earth Mothership and struck the barrier, causing massive power surges to occur within it. Dreads and Vanguards alike were tossed about like pieces of driftwood in an ocean during a raging storm. However, the most damage was received by Tekkadread Jura as both pilots were subjected to pain on an unimaginable level. Slade and Jura screamed out as their bodies were flooded with energy and finally, the Tekkadread was torn apart. Jura found herself back inside her Dread while Slade was send flying away in his Tekkaman form. The Nirvana's forces were thrown into a state of disarray as the barrier disappeared, leaving them exposed to their enemies. 

----------

"NO! Was that an Anti-Voltekker?" Buzom started to break out in a cold sweat after witnessing the horrifying and familiar scene. Was Saber still alive?

However, nothing could have prepared her or the rest of the crew, as the object that had been inside the Earth ship finally came into view. 

----------

"It's... impossible!" Meia gasped as she and the other fighters witnessed the unthinkable. 

The thing was ugly, no doubt about it. Its lines bespoke of a darkness unlike anything they had ever seen before. However, what was most disturbing about it was that it had been modeled after their own ship, the Nirvana! Unlike the original, the doppelganger sported a red crystal center between the upper and lower sections of the ship and its hull was a dark black. The pilots all felt the sensation of deja vu as the enemy had once again copied their advantages and perverted them. 

The false Nirvana's hull opened up to reveal hundreds of gun ports, similar to the ones that Bart controlled. In less than a heartbeat, the Earth's newest weapon opened fire, and released hundreds of lancing beams which looped and curved like scarlet ribbons. Not one of the pirate fighters had been able to evade the barrage without getting hit. Several of them were immediately put out of action. Then its main weapon began to charge up. The red center glowed briefly like a miniature sun, then let loose with another devastating blast, this time aiming for the Nirvana. 

----------

"Evasive action! Hard to port, thirty degrees!" Magno barked. 

Bart tried to comply but he was a nanosecond too slow and the enormous Anti-Voltekker beam clipped the right flank of the ship. The vessel shuddered from the impact as the beam easily tore through the defensive screens and ripped across the hull. The navigator let off a scream of agony as a huge gash appeared on his right side. 

The Nirvana began listing to one side from its wound. Energy grids began to fluctuate as systems began rerouting power to deal with the damage. In the engineering section, Parfat and her team were frantically trying to deal with the damage reports which were coming from all sections of the ship. The most crucial problems dealt with the large rupture in the hull and maintaining life support. That one attack had badly injured the Nirvana and its enemy wasn't going to stop. 

----------

After seeing the enemy inflict a near fatal blow to the ship, the defenders threw themselves against the fake Nirvana. Slade rode his Tekkabot toward the pseudo-pirate ship, while preparing to let loose with everything he had. Suddenly, the Earth Mothership released several of its copies of the Tekkadreads to protect the Harvesters' newest weapon. 

The Tekkaman growled as he launched himself off the back of Pegas and transformed into his Tekkaman Battle Mode. At the same time, Pegas went through its own transformation and joined with its master to form a comet of mind-boggling power. The pair plowed through their adversaries, blowing away three grotesque versions of Tekkadread Dita, Meia and Jura. 

The other Dread fighters and Van-Types began concentrating their efforts on the main duplicate of their forces, but with an Earth Mothership and at least a dozen or so Tekkadread copies backing it up, the female pilots found themselves being put on the defensive. Though more experienced and better armed than from their earlier battles, the pirates were overwhelmingly outmatched in terms of numbers and firepower. They were more used to fast strike tactics, not pitched battles. And it didn't help matters as the Nirvana clone continued taking pot shots at the original. 

----------

Bart screamed again as a glancing blast to the secondary hull of the Nirvana, made the vessel shudder again, rocking its inhabitants and causing more systems to go offline or malfunction. Sirens and warning lights blinked across his control surfaces, and damage and casualty reports kept on coming. He wished he could just tune out everything, but since he was the only one who could navigate the ship, he had to maintain his post in the Navigation Well. He tired to fire back at the attackers, but the weapon systems of the ship were only operating at less than 50% after that first devastating attack. Power had to be diverted to the shields and life support. He could take out the smaller enemy units, but destroying the Nirvana's clone or the Earth Battle Cruiser was out of the question. 

On the bridge, Magno was also wishing she could tune out everything and focus on getting her crew through of this situation alive, but there seemed to be no way out. Her heart wrenched with emotion as she continued to receive reports on the punishment her ship and crew were taking. 

----------

Down in the engineering section, amid the chaos and damaged surroundings, Parfat became very worried as the Paksis Reactor began glowing erratically. Instead of its usual green-white light and constant hum, the huge crystal seemed to exhibit signs of... pain? Flashes of red light darted across its surface in angry patterns. It was if it was feeling each of the Anti-Voltekker blasts on its hull, like a person being stabbed by a red-hot knife. She could almost swear to be hearing cries of anguish as the ship continued to be tortured. 

"Parfat! We've got some hull breeches on decks fourteen and nine!" One of her staff cried out. 

"Make sure there's nobody there and seal them off!" Parfat called back. 

"I don't think we can take much more of this!" 

"Don't worry! The ship will hold together!" Parfat assured as she gazed with deep concern at the Paksis. _You hear me, Paksis? Hold together!_ (2) 

----------

In the Sick Bay, Duero found himself in the absolute worst-case scenario a doctor could face in a combat situation. Though he had trained for this kind of eventuality, he was still very apprehensive as more injured crewmembers were brought into the infirmary. His medical skills and control under fire were pushed to their limits, as he began to fear that the Sick Bay would soon be overtaxed and that there wouldn't be enough supplies to help them all. 

The Tarak doctor and his Mejele nurse pressed on however as the situation worsened. Duero had yet to lose a patient, (with the exception of Slade, but he came back to life), and he was not willing to lose any now. 

----------

"_MEIA! THIS ISN'T WORKING!_" Slade cried out as he and Pegas dispatched another of the Copy Tekkadreads, but the rest kept on coming. He was getting tired and was already in pain from that first Anti-Voltekker blast. 

The blue-haired Dread Leader nodded as she, Jura, Dita and Barnette were picked up by Gascogne's supply ship to be rearmed and refueled. At this rate, the pirates would not last long. As her fighter was being serviced, she checked out her tactical displays and decided that the best plan was to take out that new weapon of the Harvesters. Their forces seemed to be concentrating on protecting and supporting it, while it continued to fire on the Nirvana. 

"Slade! Get ready to combine with my Dread and Pegas! We're going to ram right down that fake's throat! Jura! Dita! Barnette! We're going to need you to cover us!" 

"Can you really break through that?" Dita asked as the Nirvana clone began advancing toward the pirate vessel with the Earth Mothership close behind. 

"Only one way to find out!" At that point, all four Dreads separated from Gascogne's vessel and began charging toward their objective. 

"Coming up!" Slade and Pegas flew toward them and met up with the Dread Leader's craft in seconds. In a bright flare of light, Tekkadread Meia was formed, then the Tekkabot linked up to form Tekkadread Meia X. The phoenix mecha blazed forward in a corona of energy that resembled flames. Enemy craft were obliterated in its wake as it dived toward the Nirvana's dark counterpart. 

However, the new weapon had one more trick in its hidden arsenal as it suddenly stopped in its advance. To the amazement and horror of all those present, the ship began changing its form. Sections of its hull began retracting in some places, while extending in others. The overall shape became more longitudinal as the vessel became larger and more robust until finally, it had transformed itself into a completely different format. The red center was now in a chest housing as clawed hands and feet were formed. The front of the vessel relocated to what looked like a head and the secondary hull had become the body. The dark Nirvana had just transformed into a giant version of a Tekkaman! 

"No... it can't be!" Meia gasped as she and Slade stared in sheer disbelief! Even the original Nirvana couldn't do that! 

The now transformed Nirvana copy began charging up its primary weapon as Tekkadread Meia X continued to charge. The chest glowed briefly, then released a massive blast that would have atomized its attacker. However, Slade and Meia knew that they wouldn't survive such a counterattack and managed to veer away, but not completely. Instead of a direct hit, the merged vessel received a glancing shot. But even a partial impact from such a beam was enough to force Slade and Pegas to separate from Meia's Dread. What was even worse was that the other Dreads who had been covering them were also in the line of fire. 

Dita and Barnette managed to bank sharply to avoid being annihilated, but Jura was a microsecond slower. As a result, her fighter was hit near its main thrusters and was sent careening out of control. 

"_JURA!_" Barnette and Dita cried out as they watched their wingmate tumble erratically in space. 

Slade, though now badly injured, desperately sped toward the stricken Dread with an equally damaged Tekkabot following behind him. He had to reach her and combine with her Dread before the Nirvana duplicate could finish the job. Tekkadread Jura's shield had not been enough to protect them before, but perhaps the power of Tekkadread Jura X would be sufficient. He could only hope that the blonde pilot was still conscious in order to combine. 

In another blinding flash of light, Tekkaman and Dread became one. Inside the circular cockpit, Slade was alarmed to see the state of his co-pilot. Jura had a bloody gash on her forehead and her clothes were ripped and stained with a few crimson blotches. Her hair was frazzled and she was sporting several bruises and cuts on her body. Her breathing was heavy and labored. She looked as if she was about to collapse. 

"Jura!" 

The blonde gave Slade a weak smile, then coughed a bit before taking on a determined expression. "Let's do it!" 

Though he wanted to retreat and get her immediate medical attention, the former Saotome knew that there was no time. Cube Fighters and Seed Ships were converging on their position and the giant Harvester transformer was powering up for a final, lethal assault. 

"_PEGAS, COMBINE!_" Slade immediately hit the red button to transform the crab into the tiger as the Tekkabot came in to assist. Once locked into place, the entire vessel shuddered as it underwent its third transformation and became the cat warrior mecha. It barely had enough time to power up its reflector shield when the enemy forces opened fire. 

The circular defensive barrier took the brunt of the super-powered Anti-Voltekker, plus the shots of the other Harvester ships. For one brief moment, it looked as if it would absorb all of that destructive power, but just as it began to reflect it back toward the enemy, the shield buckled and failed. Tekkadread Jura X was blasted backward and was sent reeling. Pieces of it came flying off as it tumbled chaotically. 

Inside the cockpit, both pilots cried out as energy surges ripped through them and relays were blown. Fragments of metal and plastics went ricocheting about like shrapnel and that was when Slade heard someone scream. 

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_" 

"_JURA!_" 

----------

Though the shield had failed to protect against the assault, it did however, manage to reflect enough of the energy back at the enemy. The Nirvana doppelganger was taken by surprise as its Anti-Voltekker beam rebounded back towards its chest. Being larger than any of the smaller fighters, it was unable to dodge in time and received a direct hit. The resulting explosion sent energy shockwaves all around, driving back the enemy forces and giving the pirates time to fall back and regroup. The disturbances were so great that even the Earth Mothership paused in its advance. 

----------

The enhanced Tekkadread violently came apart into its three main components and Slade was once again clad in his armor. It was now so badly broken and dented that he knew that he couldnt fight any more. Pegas was now inoperative, after being forced to shut down during the separation to minimize further damage. It was at point that Slade noticed Jura's battered Dread was now drifting helplessly. 

"_JURA! JURA! ANSWER ME!_" 

When there was no response, he desperately summoned up the will to bring his thrusters back online and flew toward the inert fighter. A moment later, Gascogne's ship came about and used its grappling arms to grab hold of Jura's fighter, the Tekkabot and Slade. The head supplier then turned about and sped back toward the Nirvana. At the same time, the pirate forces also began retreating. 

----------

On the bridge of the ship, everyone was surprised when Bart was suddenly ejected out of the Navigational Well. 

"I didn't order you to leave!" Magno said sternly. 

The now clothed Tarak navigator shook his head in confusion. "I didn't do it! The ship just... did it on its own, and now its piloting itself!" 

----------

Parfat stared in awe and puzzlement as the Paksis' surface flickered with a kind of erratic and nervous light. She didn't know how it had suddenly seized control, but a small part of her was beginning to think that the crystal was behaving... almost as if it were alive. The ship was acting like a small child who had just gotten beaten up by a big bully and was now running scared. She began remembering back to her philosophy that all things that moved, were to be treated like living things. Could that also apply to the Paksis? 

_You're frightened, aren't you?_

----------

On board the Earth Flagship, the three newly created Tekkamen watched in as their enemies fled. The most irritating thing was that they couldn't go after them at the moment. 

"Hmpf! It looks like the Masters' new weapon wasn't all that it was cracked up to be!" Axe scoffed. 

"It was only a fluke that the reflected Anti-Voltekker had caused an hyper-intense electromagnetic pulse!" Rapier countered. "It caused all of our navigational systems to become temporarily scrambled. It will only take a few hours to recalibrate the systems." 

"I still think we should have taken care of those pirates ourselves!" Axe maintained. 

Lance held up a hand to silence his two compatriots. "Do not worry. They won't get very far with the damages they sustained. We well soon be underway again and next time, we _WILL_ succeed, where that useless Saber had failed. The Nirvana can run, but it can't hide!" 

----------

As the pirate ship limped toward the center of a gaseous nebula to lick its wounds, there was a great flurry of activity in the Sick Bay as a badly hurt Slade entered. His eyes were moist as tears began to stream down in his cheeks. In his arms, he cradled the unconscious and battered form of Jura Basil Elden. Blood continued to flow from her head wound as well as from several other cuts and lacerations. Duero and Paiway gazed upon her with shock as the Tekkaman gently laid her down on the operating table. Immediately, they began to work on stabilizing her condition as Slade could only stand with a blank expression on his face. 

_Save her Doc! Save her!_

----------

A few hours later...

Duero exited the Sick Bay to a crowd of worried people, who began to bombard him with questions about the status of their fallen comrade. Among them were Dita, Barnette, Meia and Pyoro. After getting everyone to calm down, he assured everyone that the operation was a success and that Jura would pull through. As sighs of relief echoed throughout the hallway, the doctor excused himself to go see the captain and told everyone to let Jura rest. 

Standing nearby, Slade had a bandage wrapped about his head and most of his upper torso was also bound with sterile dressing. He was also glad to hear that Jura would survive, but became curious as to what the doctor wanted to discuss with the captain. He decided to secretly follow him. 

----------

A few minutes later, Duero came aboard the bridge and began informing Magno and BC of the casualties they had sustained. Miraculously, there had been no fatalities, though a few of the patients would have to be put in intensive care for some time. Near the doorway of the bridge, Slade began eavesdropping on their conversation. What he heard next shook him to the very core. 

"It's good to hear that no one was lost." Magno said with a smile. 

The doctor took on a more somber expression as he cleared his voice and took a deep breath. "Yes. No one died... however..." 

"However?" Buzom pressed. 

"However, I'm afraid that a few of the crew had received some very serious injuries and one in particular..." 

Magno's expression hardened as she began to suspect whom Duero was indicating. She had read the injured list. "Jura?" 

"Yes. I am sorry to say that she had suffered an injury, in which she may never recover from." 

"What is it?" 

"She had received not only a concussion and severe lacerations to her limbs, as well as massive blood loss, but both she and Slade had been subjected to high amounts of electromagnetic waves. Their bodies had been pierced by dozens of metallic slivers and plastic shards. I managed to remove them all, but the damage was already done. Slade pulled through, due to his extraordinary constitution and recuperation abilities. I expect him to make a full recovery. But Jura..." 

"But what?" 

"Jura unfortunately, was damaged in a certain area in which I was unfamiliar with, when I first joined this crew. The debris and radiation pulses had injured her... reproductive organs." 

"_WHAT?!_" Both women cried out at the same time. The rest of the bridge crew were also stunned. 

Duero became a bit uncomfortable, but continued with his explanations. "Jura's abdomen was badly cut up and I had to perform some reconstructive surgery. She won't have any scars or disfigurements and will live, but her... ovaries were so badly irradiated and damaged, that they're no longer producing any eggs. I'm sorry to say but... Jura will never be able to bear children." 

----------

Slade was rendered speechless as Duero's words echoed inside his head. He realized that this news would devastate Jura. He began remembering back to his last conversation with her. 

----------

Flashback...

Jura: You know how much I want to have a baby... your baby! 

Slade: Oh no, not this again! Look, I know how much having a baby by a man would mean to you and all, but this is no time to think about becoming famous or... 

Jura: No. 

Slade: Huh? 

Jura: I said no. That's not the reason why I want a baby... now. 

Slade: But I thought... 

Jura: Well, you thought wrong. I may have wanted a baby from a man for that reason in the beginning, but now... I want a baby from you because... 

----------

Endo flashback...

_Because of what? If it wasn't to become famous, then why did she want to have my baby...? It doesn't make sense and... Wait a minute... did she want me baby because she...?_

Slade trembled as he began to think of the only other reason she would want his child. Ever since they had returned from that desert world, Jura had started to become less of a vain snob and more understanding and... 

_No! No way! She couldn't want a baby because she... could she?_

To be continued... 

Author's Notes 

Whoa! That was a long one and this chapter isn't over yet! Stay tuned for part three as the Nirvana must deal with these new enemies and we'll also be getting some new surprises as well! 

(1) I got this expression from one of my pre-readers. 

(2) Guess where I got that one? ^_^ 


	12. Chapter 6, Part 3: And In With The New

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Vandread, Tekkaman Blade and Ranma 1/2 characters aren't mine and you know the rest. 

: Thoughts

**Chapter 6**

**Part 3**

**...And In With The New**

Slade sighed as he walked toward the Sick Bay. It had been five hours since the Nirvana had retreated into the gaseous nebula after its disastrous encounter with the Harvesters and their newest weapon. Many of the hallways were dimly lit, via the emergency lights, as Parfat had been forced to shut down many of the systems for repair and to save power. The darkened environment suited his mood just fine as he thought back to what Duero had revealed about Jura... 

----------

Flashback... 

Duero: Jura's abdomen was badly cut up and I had to perform some reconstructive surgery. She won't have any scars or disfigurements and will live, but her... ovaries were so badly irradiated and damaged, that they're no longer producing any eggs. I'm sorry to say but... Jura will never be able to bear children. 

----------

End of flashback... 

_Never... have children._ That particular thought echoed in Slade's mind as he continued down the corridor. The former Saotome knew that Jura would be devastated when she was told, if Duero hadn't already informed her. 

Slade found it all to be totally ironic. If he had given in to Jura's pleading, and had gotten her pregnant, then the child wouldn't have survived that last battle. Its death would have shattered him, had it occurred. One of the main reasons why he had refused Jura's request for his seed was that making a baby the natural way was very personal, and ties of blood were extremely important. A baby would have represented a part of him, and having no family of his own to speak of, he would have done everything he could to be the best father. Whenever he tried to remember his own father, he would always get feelings of disgust and resentment and he could never figure out why. 

And if he were to become the father of Jura's child, then what kind of mother would Jura make? Slade had been noticing her more recent changes in behavior and deep down; he had a feeling that she might make a good parent. She was sometimes flighty and didn't take her responsibilities seriously, but whenever the chips were down, she could always be counted on. Then again, some of the other girls who have approached him on the matter of having his children would also be good candidates for motherhood. 

He had no doubt that Dita would be more than eager to be the mother of his offspring, with her fascination about aliens and 'Mr. Alien' in particular. However, she was honest, caring and was a good cook. At times, she was a bit of an airhead, but her innocence and enthusiasm were refreshing whenever things were gloomy. The Tekkaman chuckled a bit when he thought about producing a child between them. _I guess she'd name it Mr. Alien 1/2 or something._ He thought. 

Then there was Meia. Now he wasn't too certain about her, especially with her changes in behavior of late. He wasn't even sure of how she really felt about him and seeing her in that dress had thrown him for the proverbial loop. At first, she had been hostile toward him, which gradually evolved into grudging respect, then to tentative friendship and camaraderie. Now... it was difficult to describe their relationship. With her sudden interest about his personal life, he had begun to get the gut feeling that she wanted something from him, or at least some kind of confirmation about something that he couldn't put his finger on. When she had shown up in that dress, she looked as if she were waiting for some kind of approval from him. He had never seen the normally direct and certain Dread Leader to be doubtful about anything. This uncertainty was unnerving both to her and him. But she couldn't been after the same thing that Jura wanted... could she? 

Then there was Ukyo and Xian Pu. He had been avoiding them as of late, and as a result, they had been trying to spend more time with him. Xian Pu had begun insisting that he lead the training exercises _WITH_ her, while Ukyo kept on trying to work on the same shifts at the Register with him. 

Slade sighed, as he needed to straighten things out. On a whim, he decided to head for the cafeteria, before visiting Jura. He needed to think about what to do about the Harvester Fleet first, before dealing with his girl problems.

As he entered the eating area, he was a little surprised to see Ezra sitting at a table, feeding her daughter from a bottle. 

As the Tekkaman entered the otherwise empty area, the young mother looked up and smiled at him. 

"Oh, hello Slade." 

The space warrior took a deep breath and returned her smile while turning about to leave. "Hi Ezra. You... look busy so I'll be going..." 

"Oh no, please it's all right." The gentle bridge operator assured as she gestured for him to sit beside her. "I'm never too busy for my friends, especially friends who saved my life and named my daughter." 

Slade chuckled a bit as he looked down at the baby girl he had named. She was so beautiful, and Ezra looked so joyful to hold that precious bundle. As he sat down, he reached out to stroke Nodoka's head. He marveled at how soft her skin was and how adorable she was. She had Ezra's eyes and hair. 

As he gazed upon the infant, his thoughts began to wander as flashes of his old life came to him. Once again he saw himself as a young child, being held by a kindly woman, which he assumed was his mother. However, he still couldn't focus on her face. Then he saw an image of Jura holding a dark-haired child with his features. He saw her replaced by Meia, then Dita, and then Xian Pu and Ukyo. Finally, he saw an image of a wounded Jura and Duero's words echoed once again in his mind. 

_She'll never be able to bear children._

"Slade? what's wrong?" Ezra asked as she noticed him becoming despondent. The space martial artist shook his head to clear it and replied, "It's... nothing. I... just was thinking about a few things." 

Ezra gazed upon the saddened fighter for a long while and there was nothing but silence in the cafeteria. Finally, she noticed that her daughter had finished her meal. Gently setting the bottle down, she placed her daughter against her shoulder and began to lightly pat her on the back. However, it seemed that Nodoka was having a bit of trouble, as she didn't burp. 

Slade noted her difficulty and reached out with a palm. "Here. This should do it." Locating the correct area on the baby's back, he pressed gently with his hand while rubbing slowly. 

"_UUUUUUUURRRRRRPP!_" 

Ezra smiled as Nodoka giggled. She then began to gently rock her child to sleep, while humming a lullaby. Once the little one was peacefully slumbering away, she nodded her head to the former Saotome. 

"Thank you Slade. You seem to know a few things about children." 

Slade shrugged. "Yeah well, I picked up some stuff before I ended up on Tarak." 

"You'd make a wonderful ohma." 

The Tekkaman was taken by surprise by the compliment. "Well... I wouldn't say that, but..." 

"No, you would." She insisted. "Your children would be blessed to have you as their ohma... er, I mean father." 

Slade blushed a bit, then became saddened again as he thought of Jura. His head bowed down as he tried not to get too depressed about it, but it was impossible to do so. "I don't think I could make a good parent. What kind of parent would put others at risk...?"

Ezra shook her head while holding up a hand. As she realized that he was becoming depressed over the recent battle, she decided to get him to understand that it hadn't been his fault. "Slade, you can't hold yourself responsible for what happened to Jura. Even you couldn't have known that she'd get so hurt that she couldn't have any children." 

Slade's head came up as he made eye contact with the young mother. "H-H-How...?" 

The kind and gentle girl gave him a knowing expression. "Word travels fast around here, and I can imagine just how devastated Jura must be feeling." 

The space gladiator nodded and let off a sad sigh. "She wanted to be a mother so badly, and she wanted _ME_ to be the father of her child." 

"I know. Before this happened, she had been coming to me, asking questions on how to care for a child and how I felt about being a mother. I told her that it was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. To actually hold Nodoka in my arms and knowing that a part of me is in her, made all the pain and troubles worth it." 

"And now, she'll never experience it." He said sadly. "It makes me feel kind of lousy that I turned her down and it got me to thinking." 

"About what?" 

"About my own life. I mean, even when you die, you'll still live on... though Nodoka. For me, once I'm gone... that'll be it. There will be no legacy to leave for the future. And now, Jura doesn't have any legacy to leave either, since she can't have any children. I don't mean to sound selfish, but it would be nice to be remembered, at least in spirit. I just... I just wish there was something more that I could do for her..." 

Ezra nodded, then added, "Go to her, Slade." 

"Huh?"

"Go to Jura, and be there for her. Right now, she needs all the support she can get. I know that this must be hard for her, but as long as she knows that her friends are there for her, then she will overcome this. She's a strong person, Slade. She may act shallow and materialistic, but she's a lot tougher than she lets on and I can't think of anyone better than you, to give her the strength she needs." 

----------

The Sick Bay... 

Jura's eyes and cheeks were reddened from tears as she sat on her bed with her knees drawn up, her arms crossed over them and her head bowed down. Her long blonde hair draped over her face and shoulders. Wrapped around her forehead were white bandages, and her arms and lower abdomen were also dressed. The doctor had assured her that she would have no scars, but that was the least of her problems at the moment. As far as she was concerned, she wouldn't have cared if her entire body had been disfigured. She had been crying for some time after she regained consciousness and learned of her condition. As a precaution, Duero had all things that were sharp, removed from the Intensive Care Ward, should the Dread pilot become unstable in her grief, and become a danger to herself and others. 

_He should have let me die! He should have let me die!_ That thought repeated in her head over and over, as she knew that her fondest dream would never come true. She had been damaged, beyond all hope. What good was she now? 

At that moment, the door to her room hissed open and Slade walked in. 

----------

"Meia, have you seen Mr. Alien?" Dita asked as she approached her superior. 

Currently, Meia was working on several strategies to combat the Harvesters. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they would come after them and the exercises also helped keep her mind off other events. Like Ezra, she too had heard about Jura's condition, which got her thinking back to her own harsh childhood and how shabbily she had treated her fahma. She remembered back to when her mother had asked if she had wanted to be an ohma, rather than a fahma. The idea of bearing children had never crossed her mind before, as she was always concerned with missions and leading the Dread squadrons. Now the news of Jura never being able to have offspring got her to reconsider exactly what she wanted in life. She had been given a grim reminder of her own mortality and that nothing lasts forever. Once she was gone, that would be it. Would she even be remembered? Then she began thinking of her last meeting with Slade. 

What had possessed her to wear that dress? And why was knowing more about him so important to her? Slade was just a friend and a comrade-in-arms, and that was all. It's not as if he was the most crucial thing in her life, right? Right? And yet, she couldn't help but think of him more often. And when Jura went on about having child with a man's seed, particularly Slade's, she had started to consider her own relationship with him. 

"Leader?" 

When the red-haired girl addressed her, she quickly put those thoughts away and faced Dita. 

"I haven't seen Slade since the last battle. I suppose he's still recovering and getting ready for the next time we face off against the enemy." 

The thought of facing off against that Earth Mothership and the Nirvana clone sent shivers down Dita's spine. The crew had barely managed to survive the first encounter and Jura had received the worst of the exchange. Dita couldn't imagine living without being able to have any children. On Mejele, it was considered the greatest of joys to create life, and to cherish the act of parenthood. She could barely imagine as to what Jura was going through right now... 

----------

Sick Bay... 

"_GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!_" Jura said as she refused to make eye contact with the Tekkaman. After all, what would be the point now?

Slade felt a bit at a loss of what to say as he stood at the door to Jura's room. He had no idea on how to comfort a distraught female, but taking Ezra's advice to heart, he steeled himself and entered the room. 

"Didn't you hear me? I said go away!" 

Slade continued to walk toward her, seemingly oblivious to her words. When he came to her bedside, he sat down and reached out to her. Since he couldn't think of anything to say... 

"W-W-What are you doing? I said..." 

Taking her shoulders with a gentle but firm grip, Slade brought the Dread pilot close to his chest in a warm embrace. Patting her back with one hand, he addressed her in a quiet whisper. 

"Go ahead Jura. Let it out. Let it all out." 

"What?" Jura said in confusion as she tried to push him away. "Let me go!" 

"It's okay. Just let it out Jura. I know that you're upset about not being able to have a baby." 

Those words made Jura stiffen for a moment, then she continued to pound on his chest, trying to push him away. It was a very sore subject and she felt a twinge of anger well up inside her. How dare he bring that up? "What would you know about how I feel?! You don't have the slightest idea as to how I feel! How would a man know what a woman would feel when she can't have any children!?" 

The Tekkaman winced at his poor choice of words, as social skills were not one of his strong points. But he continued to hold onto her as he didn't know what else to do but give Jura the shoulder, (or in this case chest), she needed to cry on. Since she was still recovering from her injuries and the major loss of blood, her fists had little strength in them, (not that it would have mattered to Slade if she had been at full strength). Finally, after a long while, Jura gave up trying to beat on him and started to weep again. She also began scolding him as she cried into his chest. 

"You... you... jerk! You... (choke)... dummy! Dummy! Stupid! Idiot! How... (sob)... could a man... (sniff)... _POSSIBLY_ know what it means... (sob)... to never have children?! You... you... stupid male!" 

That part caused a bit of irritation to Slade, but he realized that it was just her anger and frustration talking. He remained silent as the blonde continued to throw half-hearted insults and soaked the front of his shirt with her tears. When she started to hiccup and her sobs became quieter, he took a deep breath and nodded. In a quiet voice, he agreed. 

"You're right, Jura. How could someone like me understand any of it? When it comes to this kind of thing... I don't know squat." 

"Damned right." Jura agreed with still some of her anger in her voice. By this time she was almost totally drained, both physically and emotionally. "What would you know... about carrying a child? (sniff). Of... having that life growing inside of you? (sob) To actually... hold a part of you? To see that... part grow up... and know... that..." 

Jura's voice trailed off as her tears began to flow again. In response, Slade brought her even closer in his embrace. He didn't know what to say. All he could do was to hold onto her and let her pour out her feelings. 

A few minutes later, Jura spoke again. 

"I wanted that baby. I wanted it so much! And... (sob), I thought if... I had it... I'd want more! But now... I can't have _ANY_! I can't even have one by Mejele standards! Do you know how much I wanted to be a fahma? It's not _FAIR_! It's just not _FAIR_!" 

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know how much life bites." 

"If you know all that, then why won't you leave me alone?" 

Slade sighed. "That... I don't know. I really don't. It's just that I feel that it's the right thing to do. Life usually isn't fair. That's the one thing I've learned since... well, since ever. It kicks you down. It breaks you up. It throws things at you that you can never expect. And it can be really disappointing at times. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with it. But then... I think about what it would be like without it. And you know what? That scares me even more than living through all the pain and the sadness. It's all that we've got, and if it's not there for us to live out, then what's it for?" 

"But you've never had to deal with... with what I've got!" Jura said bitterly. "I'm useless now! I'm a broken piece of worthless junk! I'm garbage! No one is going to want me, now that I can't have children! It would have been kinder if Duero had let me die!" 

At that point, the former Saotome pushed her off his chest and gripped her shoulders tight while looking into her eyes. "Jura... don't you _EVER_ say that again!" 

"W-What?" 

"You are _NOT_ garbage. Never, _EVER_ think that you are! I don't think of you as garbage. Barnette, Meia, Dita, the Captain, or anyone else on his ship will tell you, that you are not garbage." 

"But I can't have children. What use am I now?" 

"_THAT_ doesn't label you as garbage!" Slade said resolutely. He took a deep breath and his expression softened. "Look, despite all that's happened, I would never have considered you as anything else but the person that you are. And I most certainly would never have thought of you as garbage, not then, not now, not _EVER_! And I think I speak for everyone, when I say that you are one of the strongest people here and that the universe would be much lonelier without you. You have the potential to be a great leader of the Dreads. You're one _HELL_ of a pilot. When the chips are down, you're always there when we need you! You're part of the team and we can't last long unless Jura Basil Elden is in our corner. Besides..." Slade's cheeks became tinged with pink as he added. "Things have gotten pretty interesting since I met you. Now, does that sound like I'm describing a piece of garbage?" 

Jura was silent for a very long while as she considered Slade's words. 

Slade sighed again as he stood up and turned toward the door. He figured that she needed time to think and was certain that she would not do anything rash, at least for now. Before he exited the Sick Bay, he turned back to her and said, "Jura, it's up to you on what you want to do with your life now, but remember that we're all here to help you though this. However, we can't help you, unless you're willing to let us help you. As Ms. Gasco might phrase it, You may have been dealt a bad hand, but that's no reason to quit the game. And if you were to suddenly disappear from our lives, then we'd all be sad... especially me." 

Jura felt her own cheeks redden slightly at that last statement. "I'll... think about it." 

The Tekkaman nodded as he gave her a reassuring smile and left. 

----------

"Slade!" 

"Hmmm?" The martial artist and space fighter turned to see Meia approaching him as he was headed back to his quarters. 

The Dread Leader stopped before him and nodded to him. "The Dread and Vanguard pilots are having a meeting in the War Room. We just may have a way to defeat the Harvesters." 

"Oh? What's the plan?" 

"Do you remember that Message Unit that Misty had when we found her?" 

----------

The War Room... 

"So what you're saying is that we can use the virus in this to infect the Harvesters?" Slade said as he held up the Message Unit. 

Meia nodded as she began explaining the strategy to him and the others. "That's the main idea. Remember how this module had nearly shut down all the systems on the Nirvana?" 

"Yeah I remember. I spent most of that battle trapped in an elevator." The Tekkaman replied. 

Parfat nodded as she brought up some data on the War Room's viewer. "According to the data that we collected from our last encounter with the enemy, we found out that all the smaller units and their new weapon are controlled by the Earth Mothership, via special remote control wavelengths." 

Duero Mcfile nodded as he was also there for the briefing. "According to our research, the Harvester Fleet on the whole, is behaving like a living organism. That is to say, that each separate unit, such as the Cube Fighters, the Tekkadread Clones and even their new weapon, functions as extensions of the main 'brain' as you would call it. The brain would be the central computer of the Earth ship. It is there that they are able to act in concert. If one component were attacked, the others would defend it. However, if we were to take out the central control system, then in theory, the entire fleet will become inoperative." 

"Why can't we just jam the control wavelengths?" Barnette asked. 

"That would reduce their abilities, but not stop them." The engineer interjected. "Remember that the Earth Mothership by itself would be able to destroy us. So far, I think they've been playing with us. Besides, we can't jam their control frequencies for long, since they're using a random energy modulation. The best way to do this is to take out the master system itself. Once it's down, the other units will lose their main control protocols. We can cause a big diversion and secretly insert a raiding party into the ship. Once they reach the main system, the virus can be downloaded into it, which will cause all major functions to shut down. Furthermore, once that virus gets started, it will infect all the others as well. We can take them all out in one shot." 

"One very risky shot." Slade commented. "We don't know what's in one of those things and fighting our way through their forces is going to be tough, especially at our reduced fighting power. I'm not exactly at my best, and several of the Dread and Vanguard Pilots are out of action." He felt a pang of regret as he remembered Jura. 

"Well, according to our data, we have just enough fighters to do the job." Meia said. "Plus, Parfat's got one more trick up her sleeve." 

The bespectacled girl nodded. "Even though we can't disrupt their control wavelengths indefinitely, we can release a sizable electromagnetic pulse that will cause them to momentarily lose contact with all of their forces. You'll only have about ten seconds, but that should be enough time for you and Pegas to combine with Meia and punch through the Earth Ship's hull. The rest of the raiding group will follow. We've managed to roughly pinpoint the location of the main computer, so once you get there, all you have to do is implant the virus. The rest should take care of itself." 

The rest of the pilots nodded in agreement as they saw it as their best chance to defeat the enemy, but Slade still had doubts. He had a feeling that the new weapon of the Harvesters wasn't the only thing he should be worried about. There was something else that was nagging at him, but he couldn't figure out what. For a brief moment, his Tekkacrystal symbol glowed on his forehead then disappeared. 

----------

On the Earth Mothership...

"Did you feel that? Lance? Axe?" Rapier asked as she and her cohorts stood on the observation deck. 

The other Tekkmen nodded as they too had sensed it. The signal had come from the gas nebula where the Nirvana had retreated. Since it did not match the wavelength of the Nirvana's Paksis, it could only be one other thing. 

"He will come again." Lance said simply as he began punching in certain codes into the ship's main computer. "This time, he will _NOT_ escape us!"

"Yes, I can sense that he is wounded and weakened. He will fall before our might. A pity though." 

"What do you mean?" Axe inquired. "It is our mission to destroy the Nirvana and Slade." 

"It is only what those _FOOLS_ on Earth want." Rapier stated. "It would be a waste to destroy a potential asset such as Slade." 

"What are you saying?" Lance asked with suspicion. 

Rapier snorted as she replied. "Come now. You don't acknowledge those idiots on Earth as our _TRUE_ masters, do you?" 

"Of course not! We are by far superior to those organ-hungry weaklings!" Lance growled. "However, their goals do coincide with ours, so we may as well play along and let them _THINK_ that we owe them our existence. Of course, there's also those blasted obedience chips in our heads to worry about. However, the time will soon come for our true master to show himself. Until then, we must bide our time." 

"Yes, but consider this possibility. After all, besides the three of us, the only known Tekkamen are Slade, Saber and that other one, Phantom. Think of how powerful we would become, if we were to add Slade to our ranks. He is a Tekkaman, after all." 

"Hmpf! I severely doubt he could be turned to our side." Axe scoffed. "He had already proven to be loyal to the humans' side. It would be better to destroy him before he becomes an even greater threat to our ultimate plans." 

"I tend to agree, though what Rapier says does have merit." Lance said. "Slade would make a formidable ally. Perhaps something can be worked out..." 

----------

The Nirvana... 

As the crew made preparations for their next encounter with the Harvesters, a lone Dread pilot sat quietly on her bed in deep contemplation. Jura had been silent ever since Slade had left the Sick Bay, and his last words to her still rang in her mind.

(Slade's Voice) As Ms. Gasco might phrase it, You may have been dealt a bad hand, but that's no reason to quit the game. And if you were to suddenly disappear from our lives, then we'd all be sad... especially me. 

_Did he really mean that?_ Jura thought as she pondered on what to do with the rest of her life. She was still distraught over her inability to have children, and wondered if there was anything else to live for.

On Mejele, she had been raised with the belief that creating life was sacred, and it was every woman's duty to ensure the next generation. Becoming an ohma or a fahma was to be cherished, as the children that she would create would carry a part of her into the future. While she had been growing up, she had always looked forward to the day, in which she would proudly hold a precious bundle in her arms. Her dream became even grander when she had decided that Slade would be a part of her child. Then... something happened. She couldn't explain it, but according to what the Captain had told her, she had begun to develop certain emotions toward the Tekkaman, which by Mejele standards, would have been considered as blasphemy. She was still shaken when Magno had told her... 

----------

Flashback... 

"No! That can't be! I can't be... in... l... l... " Jura's voice trailed off as she couldn't say that final word. 

"Well, as far as I can tell, you've got all the symptoms. Why else are you so determined to have his child?" Magno stated as she gave the Dread Pilot a motherly smile. "And I must say, I couldn't be more pleased." 

"But... but... it's... impossible!"

"Says who?" The aged pirate leader asked. 

"It's... impossible to feel _THAT_ for a man!" 

"Why?" 

"Because..." 

"Because what?" 

"Because... just... because! It's not done on Mejele!" 

Of course, the elderly Captain of the Nirvana was amused to see the normally proud and vain Jura, become so flustered over something so simple and natural. She patted Jura's left shoulder to ease her tension, then gave her some advice. 

"Well, in case you've forgotten, we're not on Mejele and besides, you haven't been back to our homeworld, since you joined up with this crew three years ago. So what does it matter if what you're feeling for D-Boy isn't allowed on Mejele? You joined up because like many of the other girls, you wanted to get away from Mejele and all of its rules, regulations and stupidity. Remember that's the main reason why I became a pirate in the first place. I wanted to explore new options and be able to live freely, without having to suffer through the problems, which caused me to lose my home in the beginning. Out here, we decide what we want, how we want it and when we want it. We don't have to worry about what others think, because everyone is entitled to live the way they intend. We all work together because we all want the same thing, and that's freedom. We want the freedom to choose, the freedom to explore, and the freedom to live our lives to the fullest. We don't know what the future will bring, but we can't face it properly, unless we are willing to take the chance and live with the consequences that our decisions bring. That's what life is all about." 

"But... if what you're saying about how I feel about Slade is true... then..."

"Then you have to ask yourself, is this what you truly want? And don't think about what the people on Mejele might say. They have absolutely no business with your own life. This is your decision alone." 

Jura was silent for a very long time as she thought about living with Slade, then considered the possibility without him. Finally, she gave her Captain the barest of nods, which signified her decision. 

Magno nodded back to her. "I see you have made a choice and I hope that you will have good fortune with it." 

"I guess I'll have to live with that decision, bad or good." 

"Yes. I hope that it will be good. However, keep in mind that life doesn't last forever, and it isn't truly appreciated until you're about to lose it. And life loses all meaning when you give up on it." 

----------

End of Flashback... 

_Life loses all meaning if I give up on it, huh?_ Jura thought as she continued to sit in silence. At that point, the doors to the Sick Bay opened and in walked Barnette. Jura's friend smiled at her as she came up to her bedside and asked how she was doing. As they engaged in conversation, the brunette began informing her of the plan to attack the Harvesters, making Jura feel left out, due to her injuries. 

It was at that point that she made her decision... 

----------

When preparations were complete, the Nirvana began moving out of the gas nebula and toward the enemy forces. Dreads and Van-Types were launched and as expected, the surrounding Cube Fighters and Seed Ships began moving into formation to meet the opposition. Behind them, the Earth Mothership and its Nirvana Clone waited for their smaller forces to soften up the enemy, before going in for the final kill. 

The stage was set and nearly all the players were in place. 

----------

The Sick Bay... 

"You want me to do what?!" Duero exclaimed after Jura had made her request. 

"So you'll do it?" Jura asked hopefully. 

"I most certainly will not!" The physician replied emphatically. "I will not allow my patient to put herself at such risk! What you are asking is sheer suicide, and it goes against all my principals as a doctor!" 

"Please! I have to do this!" 

"No! Your job is to recover and that's final!" 

----------

Out in space, the forces of the Nirvana and the Harvesters met head-on as the background of space lit up with explosions, energy bolts and missile trails. Cube Fighters and Seed Ships were destroyed in great quantities, but the leaders of the Earth Fleet paid little concern of the heavy casualties they were sustaining. Cube Fighters and Seed Ships were considered as nothing more than cannon fodder and more can always be manufactured. 

"Hmmm, they seem to be following their usual attack pattern." Lance observed as he and his fellow Tekkamen watched the conflict from the main bridge. 

"Do you think they might have some kind of strategy?" Axe wondered. 

"It's possible. They did defeat a battle cruiser before. They are very resourceful." Rapier remarked, then noticed something on the tactical displays. "They seem to be concentrating their efforts on these two sectors, both of which are direct lines toward our position. I believe that our ship may be the main target." 

"That sounds about right. They must have figured out that we control all of our forces from here, including our new weapon." Lance stated. 

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Axe inquired. 

Lance smiled deviously as he shook his head. "No. Let them come. Give them some measure of hope. It will makes things so much more satisfying when we crush it." 

----------

The Tekkaman slashed through another Cube Fighter as he and the Warrior Squadron flew in coordinated patterns to support the Dreads. So far, the plan was working as they were inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and had lost none of their own. However, Slade knew that he couldn't let his guard down for a second. There was just too much at stake as he flew toward the rendezvous point with Meia's Dread. Behind her were Dita's and Barnette's. 

"Slade! It's time!" 

----------

In the engineering section of the Nirvana, Parfat nodded as the Harvester Forces were now in the proper position. She began inputting in the data she had collected and contacted the bridge. 

----------

"Begin the operation!" Magno barked. 

Inside his Navigational Well, Bart nodded as he opened up the ship's cannon ports and fired off a scattering pattern of energy beams, causing several hundred of the Cube Fighters to be obliterated. This caused the other Harvester ships to become disoriented as they attempted to evade destruction. 

At the same time, the front of the Nirvana's bow opened up to reveal a complex sensor array, which glowed with an eerie light. A second later, a huge electromagnetic pulse was generated and sent through the entire Harvester Fleet. The ships began experiencing massive disruptions and malfunctions as they were subjected to the attack. Even the Earth Mothership and its new weapon were temporarily taken offline, giving the Nirvana's crew their chance. 

----------

At that moment, Tekkaman Slade and Meia's Dread combined to form Tekkadread Meia. Two seconds later, Pegas linked up to form Tekkadread Meia X. The Phoenix mecha was engulfed in a fiery corona of flames as it plunged toward the bow of the Earth Mothership. Following behind were Dita and Barnette. Like a hot knife going through butter, Tekkadread Meia X punched through the hull and plowed its way toward the center of the gigantic vessel. 

There was no turning back... 

----------

Inside the cockpit of Tekkadread Meia X, Slade, Meia and Pyoro tensed up as they approached their main objective. Since this was the first time anyone had been inside one of these ships, they were a bit unnerved at what they saw. The walls of the vessel seemed like the inside of some massive hive and seemed more organic. It was if they were tiny microorganisms, invading a huge host. 

The Tekkaman and his pirate allies steeled themselves as their sensors told them that they were nearing their destination. They could only pray that the Warrior Squadron and the remaining Dreads could hold off the enemy until their mission was completed. 

----------

"It seems that we have some guests." Lance remarked as he was notified that the hull had been breached and invaders were heading toward the main computer systems. 

"Well, as hosts, we can't be rude, can we?" Rapier quipped. 

"Indeed. We should send out the welcoming committee before we introduce ourselves." 

With that, he pressed a few buttons on his console, then motioned for his comrades to follow him. 

----------

Out in space, Xian Pu and Ukyo found themselves in the thick of things as the Harvesters began attacking again with more ferocity. Though they still had the support of the Dreads and the Nirvana, they were counting on the success of the infiltration team. They could only hold out for so long before the enemy overwhelmed them by sheer numbers. And the fact that the Nirvana Clone hadn't engaged them yet was disturbing. 

----------

The infiltration team members were surprised when they suddenly flew into a huge chamber. It was big enough to contain the Nirvana and they assumed that this was where the Nirvana Clone had come from. At the center of the area was a large column and Meia computers confirmed that it was the central computer node. It was time to go to work. 

At that moment, several huge hatches opened up in the walls of the chamber, releasing a dozen or so, Tekkadread copies. 

The welcoming committee had arrived. 

----------

The Nirvana... 

"The insertion team has just confirmed entry into the central computer core section." Misty announced. "They're meeting up with some stiff opposition." 

Magno nodded as she and Buzom waited for news of their success... or failure. 

----------

Deep within the bowels of the Earth Mothership, the battle raged on. Tekkadread Meia X split apart as Pyoro began swimming toward the main computer core of the behemoth to infect it with the virus. Slade rode Pegas toward Dita's fighter. In a flash, they became Tekkadread Dita X and began blasting the Copy Tekkadreads to pieces, protecting the small robot until its job was done. 

Pyoro began opening up psuedo-organic panels, exposing the circuits underneath. It then started searching for a relay which would lead straight toward the ship's main processors. Once he located one, inserting Misty's message capsule into it would send the computer virus directly into the ship's processors. In theory, this would cause all functions on the vessel to cease, just as it had done with the Nirvana. 

----------

"Step it up, you little junk pile!" Slade growled as he and Dita destroyed two more of the false Tekkadreads. Barnette and Meia's fighters were providing additional cover fire on either flank. Outside the breach in the mothership's hull, several members of Xian Pu's Vanguard Warrior Squadron and a few Dreads were protecting the hole, as it would be the insertion group's only means of escape. 

Pyoro gave the Tekkaman an irritated, electronic snarl, and then let off an excited beep as it located the correct relay. 

"Give one more minute." The automaton said as it started making the connections. 

At that point, a copy of Jura's Tekkadread got past Meia and Barnette and headed straight for Pyoro. Tekkadread Dita X was busy fending off three other fakes. It seemed that the little machine would be destroyed before it could complete its task. Just as the enemy prepared to fire, another player joined in the act as a scarlet streak suddenly appeared and let loose with a volley of laser bolts. This caused the false Tekkadread Jura to be knocked off balance and gave time for Slade and Dita to act. Grasping two of its opponents, Tekkadread Dita X swung them into the fake Tekkadread Jura, then blew them all to pieces with its Wing-Blade Voltekker. It then dealt with its other adversaries. 

----------

"I hope I'm not too late for the party!" Jura said from her Dread. 

Her communications screen lit up as Duero warned her. "Don't push yourself too hard, Jura. You're not fully recovered and those stimulants I administered won't last long." 

The blonde nodded as she joined the fray with Barnette and Meia. It had taken a _LOT_ of pleading and cajoling to convince the physician to let her join the fight. 

----------

The Nirvana... 

"Captain! The Nirvana clone is moving!" Misty cried out. 

----------

Pyoro nodded as the last of the connections were made and he started up the message capsule. It would take ten minutes for the virus to fully effect the ship's main computer. Until then, the insertion group would have to hold out. However, that was when the area began to tremble. The walls of the ship's mainframe buckled and cracked apart as something began tearing at the hull. 

----------

"Commander! We can't stop it!" 

Slade just partially caught Xian Pu's message as he and the others looked up and saw... it. 

The copy of the Nirvana had transformed into its humanoid form and was ripping open the Mothership like a child that was tearing into a Christmas present. However, the Nirvana's insertion team wasn't feeling at all merry. 

Before anyone could react, the giant's chest glowed red, and fired off a massive crimson beam at Tekkadread Dita X. Slade let off a scream of agony as he felt the effects of the Anti-Voltekker. He and Pegas were forced apart from Dita's Dread. The red-haired pilot and her craft went tumbling back and impacted against another wall of the mainframe. Dita desperately tried to get her fighter moving, but she discovered that her Dread was stuck, just as it had been when she and Slade first met. 

"Dita!" 

Meia's fighter came speeding toward her comrade's, but the false Nirvana let off another blast. Her fighter was hit on the side and one of its main stabilizers was destroyed. The Dread leader fought to control her craft's fall, but she too hit the wall of the inner chamber and was imbedded near when Dita's had crashed. 

Slade shook his head to clear it and saw that two of his comrades were down. Not wanting to lose any more, he got onto Pegas' back and sped toward Jura's fighter to fuse with it. Her protective barrier was their only hope. 

However, just as he got near her ship, a bladed projectile flashed in and blindsided him, knocking him off Pegas. At the same time, the Nirvana Clone fired off another volley, heavily damaging Jura's Dread and causing it to crash near Meia and Dita's. 

"Jura!" Barnette cried out as she witnessed the scarlet fighter go down. Fortunately, her sensors indicated that all three Dread pilots were alive for the moment. 

----------

The white Tekkaman groaned as he righted himself with his thrusters and looked about for what had struck him. His eyes widened as he saw a long, metal shaft with a triangular, serrated blade embedded in another wall of the mainfraime. 

_A... Tekkalance? But... that would mean...?_

An instant later, an energy line appeared and snagged the weapon. The lance then returned to the hand of its master. As Slade looked up, he saw a figure floating beside the head of the transformed false Nirvana. He made out the familiar outlines of Tekkaman armor. 

"Saber...?" 

The figure let off an evil chuckle as he shook his head and came out of the shadow of the copy Nirvana. He was colored a drab tan and his armor had fewer protrusions than Saber's. "Oh no. I am nothing like that failure Saber. I am... Lance!" 

"Lance?" 

----------

The Nirvana's bridge... 

Everyone was in a state of shock as they beheld the appearance Harvestor's newest agent on the main monitor, which was being transmitted via Barnette's Dread. 

"Another Tekkaman?" Buzom gasped. 

"Looks like this one's on Earth's side." Amarone stated. 

"He's not the only one!" Celtic declared as she detected two more signals. 

----------

Slade's blood ran cold as he saw two more figures appear from the shadows. One was in bulky, emerald armor and sported a long polearm that had an axe blade on one end. The second looked feminine in appearance with twin yellow tails behind her helmet. Her armor was a mixture of drab green and red. In one hand, she carried a kind of sword. 

Lance chuckled again as he gestured to his compatriots. "Oh yes. I'd like to introduce you to my fellow executioners. Meet Tekkaman Axe... and Rapier. And now... it's time to finish the job that Saber could never do!" 

In a flash, all three Tekkamen converged on Slade. The Nirvana's fighter was already weakened from the massive Anti-Voltekker as he began defending himself against three fresh adversaries. 

----------

"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried out as she watched him being viciously attacked on three sides. She raised Jura and Meia on her communicator. "Isn't there anything we can do to help him?" 

Meia shook her head as she replied. "No good! Thrusters are totaled and weapons are inoperative! My Dread is nothing more than junk now!" 

Jura also shook her head. "Same here. My beautiful Dread is useless! It looks like Slade is on his own." 

Dita frantically worked the controls of her fighter, trying to get it to lift off, but the engines whined and sputtered for a few moments before permanently burning themselves out. All three Paxis-powered Dreads were now worthless. 

Floating near where Pegas was flying was a damaged Pyoro. Its main screen crackled as it said, "Hopefully, Slade can hold out until the virus kicks in!" 

----------

Slade was not totally alone as Barnette and the Tekkabot tried to get involved in the battle. However, the giant Nirvana clone kept them from interfering by laying down a barrage of laser beams. Under the control of its Tekkamen masters, the massive machine withheld from just destroying Slade and the others outright. Lance, Axe and Rapier wanted the pleasure of personally tearing the former Saotome to pieces. 

----------

The White Tekkaman gritted his teeth after narrowly avoiding a deadly chop from Axe's weapon, then parrying a kick to the head from Rapier. However, he was unable to completely avoid Lance's attack as his chest guns launched a barrage of energy slivers at him. Several pierced his right shoulder guard, causing him to wobble a bit in flight. This gave Axe the opportunity to deliver his specialized Heavy Punch to Slade's midsection, followed up with an energy slash from his weapon. The crescent-shaped blast cut though Slade's other shoulder guard, causing more pain. 

Slade fought back by launching his Tekkarangs at Lance, then swinging about in a spin kick to knock Rapier back as she tried to blindside him. As Axe charged in for a slice at his head, Slade ducked, then thrust out with half of his Tekkalance. The point skidded across Axe's chest, causing him to back off. Slade followed through by throwing the other half of his weapon at Lance. The enemy Tekkaman deflected the projectile as the Nirvana's Tekkaman jetted upwards to get more fighting room. Launching an energy cable, he retrieved his thrown weapon and rejoined it with other half, forming his lance again. 

_Just eight minutes to go!_

However, that was when all three Earth Tekkamen charged at him en masse. Slade could not stop them all as they slammed into him. Rapier managed to clip him in the head with a kick, as Lance and Axe grazed his torso with their weapons. As Slade tried to dodge, both Tekkamen landed several hard blows on his head and Rapier came up from behind and slashed at his back. 

"Arrgggghhhh!" 

----------

"Mr. Alien!" 

"Slade!" 

"Oh no!" 

----------

Slade went plummeting toward the place where the three defunct Dreads lay. Turning about in his fall, the Tekkaman used his lance as a kind of brake. The point dug deep into the surface, leaving a gash several meters long. He skidded to a stop near Dita's dread as the three Tekkamen prepared to deliver the coup de grace. 

Slade staggered to his feet and used his lance to prop himself up as he looked up. 

_Damn it! Just five more minutes! I need more... POWER! If... only I could change... into that time..._ His thoughts traveled back to when he had evolved into Tekkaman Blastor. He had been trying to achieve that state since then, but had been unsuccessful. Eventually, he had decided that the transformation had been a one-time occurrence. At this point in time, he needed it the most! He tried to raise his Voltekker Units, but they were too damaged to respond quickly enough. It looked like the end for everyone. 

----------

Lance and the other Tekkamen were a bit disappointed. They had been informed that Slade has some new kind of power that they should be wary of, but it had been too easy to bring down the much vaunted enemy of the Harvesters. Now it was time, to finish Slade and the accursed Dread once and for all! But first... 

"Even though it was too easy, I must admit that you are formidable, Slade." Lance said as he and his compatriots formed a delta pattern high above them. 

"Yes. You are truly a Tekkaman to be reckoned with." Rapier added. "No one has ever given the Harvesters this much trouble." 

Axe then said, "Indeed, though such potential could be used in much more... lucrative ways." 

Though he was in serious pain, Slade still found the strength to get to his feet and reply. "W-W-What are you saying?" 

"What we're saying is that we're giving you this one chance to join the winning side, Slade." Lance said. "You are wasting your time allying with these pitiful fighters. You are a Tekkaman! Like us, you are far beyond these weaklings! It is only logical that you should be with your own kind!" 

"Yes! Join us and conquer!" Rapier added. "Entire galaxies shall bow before the might of the Tekkamen! It is only fitting that we should rule over all!"

"So what's it going to be, Slade?" Axe inquired as he clutched his weapon before him. "Will you join us in victory, or will you join these pathetic wretches in destruction?" 

The White Tekkaman didn't even hesitated as he said, "(BIG CENSORED HERE)" 

"Very well, Sade, if that is your choice. It was fun, but now it is time for you to die." Lance stated as he powered up the Voltekker Units in his chest near the neck. 

"For our masters, you will be destroyed!" Axe lowered some chest panels, exposing his own Voltekker Units. 

"Your pitiful comrades will also share your fate!" Rapier added as she too prepared to fire. 

All three began concentrating their energies and then released three huge power blasts at once. 

"_VOLTEKKER!_" 

----------

"_NO!_" Barnette screamed out, as she and Pegas were unable to stop the execution. 

----------

At that point, Slade just managed to release a counter-blast of his own. 

"_VOLTEKKER!_" 

----------

The energies hit each other head on, causing a massive flare of light. However, the three beams that the other Tekkamen had launched overwhelmed Slade's power beam. The feedback, along with the energy of the enemy's, engulfed Slade, and the three Dreads in one tremendous explosion. Debris from each craft went flying everywhere, as it seemed that the Dread pilots and Slade had finally perished. 

----------

Within their fighters, each pilot screamed in agony as their ships and bodies were flooded with energy. They felt as if the fires of Hell itself were consuming their very souls. However, on their foreheads, dots of light appeared and took the shape of Slade's Tekkacrystal. Once again, each female began to feel an eerie sensation wash over her. However, this time it was different from before. They began to feel stronger. The process which had begun since the creation of the Tekkadreads, had finally reached fruition. 

----------

"And that's the end of... what?" Lance stopped in mid-gloat as he noticed that a figure was emerging from the conflagration. He and his compatriots couldn't believe that someone had actually survived their combined attacks. They were even more shocked as they recognized him. 

"_SLADE!_" 

The White Tekkaman smiled behind his helmet as new power surged through his very being. He had finally tapped into the power he had been searching for. In a flare of emerald-white light, he triggered his transformation. His armor became more robust as twin, wing-like appendages appeared at his midsection. His helmet became bulkier and his shoulder units became sharper. When the transformation completed itself, Slade had once again become Tekkaman Blastor! 

"What is this?!" Axe demanded as Slade now looked even more menacing than all three put together. 

"How can this be possible?!" Rapier said in disbelief. 

"This can't be! We are the supreme Tekkamen!" lance declared. 

Slade growled as he took a stance. "You? You three are nothing more than bullies. And now..." 

At that moment, three comets of light exploded forth from where the three Dreads had been. One comet was colored crimson, the second was white and the third was a brilliant blue. 

----------

Barnette gasped as she saw that her comrades were surrounded by coronas of light. Their space suits had been stripped off, leaving only their naked bodies. 

"Jura? Meia? Dita?" 

----------

The three former Dread pilots came to stop behind Slade, with each still surrounded by an aura of power. Each girl was in a kind of dreamlike state as they floated upright and faced their enemies. Then, as the girls opened their eyes, three objects appeared before them. 

The ruby-colored crystal fascinated Jura. It resembled Slade's, as she reached out and grasped it in her right hand. Dita felt her heart pounding as she held a blue-tinted crystal. As for Meia, she felt a shiver travel down her back as the white crystal glittered in her hand. 

Slade was flabbergasted at the sight as he looked upon his comrades. Then seeing the crystals in their hands, he could scarcely believe that the impossible had happened... 

"Girls?" 

Simultaneously, all three raised their new possessions aloft and shouted out. 

"_TEKSETTER!_" 

----------

Below them, the wreckage of each girl's Dread fighters became surrounded by intense energies. Then each ruined ship broke apart into dozens of beams of light, which arced toward their pilots. Each pilot began seeing lines of light tracing themselves over her body. Then pieces of armor began to appear. 

Jura gasped as gauntlets of scarlet fused to her forearms, followed by stylish, pointed armored boots, breastplate and visored helmet. The girl's long, flowing hair was left hanging outside of the helmet, which had winged protrusions near the temples. A kind of triangular shield, the size of an automobile hubcap, appeared on top of her left forearm. Small, circular blisters appeared on her shoulders and thighs. A small nacelle appeared horizontally behind the small of her back, like a kind of scabbard. On her back were two small but sleek thruster units. The end result was a 6'5" cosmic warrior in red armor with black trim. 

Dita let off a squeal of delight as she too became encased in armor that was formally her Dread. Her armor was similar to Jura's except that it was colored a crystal blue with some emerald lines. Her arms sported pointed gauntlets with a kind of opening near the front. Her shoulder guards were rectangular and tapered off toward the sides. Like Jura, her long red hair was left flowing outside of her helmet, which was angled forward. Thrusters arranged in three separate pod were mounted on her back and she became an overall height gain and muscle mass of thirty percent. 

Meia was in a state of total disbelief as she was encased in gray and white armor. However, unlike being in a Vanguard, the Dread leader felt none of her claustrophobia as she was transformed. Triangular protrusions, like blades appeared behind her shoulders, making her appear to have wings. Her entire head was encased in a smooth, aerodynamically designed helmet with fins. The rest of her armor was also shaped in graceful, sleek lines from top to bottom. Even her thruster units, mounted on her back, were shaped with curved surfaces. It looked as if speed was emphasized, just as her Tekkadread had been. 

"What is this?!" Lance demanded. "Three new Tekkamen?!" 

Slade shook he his while still smiling behind his helmet. It had just become a whole new ball game. 

Definitely to be continued... 

Author's Notes 

Whoa! This has got to be the longest part to ch.6 I've written and I suppose I threw a lot of readers for a loop with this sudden change. Most readers were probably expecting the appearance of the Super Tekkadread, but I felt that would have been too easy. In any case, part four will be the conclusion to this battle as well as a few new surprises. See you there! 


	13. Chapter 6, Part 4: Really Big Changes!

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Tekkaman Blade, Ranma 1/2 and Vandread belong to their respective owners, so there!

: Thoughts

**Chapter 6**

Part 4

Really Big Changes!

The bridge of the Nirvana...

"What's going on?" Magno demanded as all communications to the insertion team had been suddenly cut off. It had happened just after the three enemy Tekkamen had fired at the group. At first, she thought that they had all been killed, but Misty had assured them that she was still reading their life signs. However, she was also getting some weird energy readouts, especially from Jura, Meia and Dita's Dreads. Just what was happening in that ship? 

----------

The Earth Mothership...

"What?! Three new Tekkamen?!" Lance exclaimed as he and his compatriots stared upon the newly-formed cosmic warriors. 

Jura, Meia and Dita were similarly in a state of shock as they looked down at themselves. Each gazed upon her armor, which had once been her Dread. To them, it didn't feel as if they were wearing suits, rather the armor was like a second skin. There was no sensation of being enveloped within a shell. And the power, oh the power that was now coursing through their very beings. Is this what Slade felt every time he transformed? It made them feel as if they could take on anything the universe could throw at them! 

At that moment, Lance shook himself out of his shock and attacked. Tekkamen they may be, but they were newly-formed and vulnerable! He had the opportunity to destroy them before they could become a threat! Without a second thought, he launched a barrage from his shoulder guns at the nearest foe, which was Tekkaman Dita. However, at the same time, another Tekkaman reacted, namely Blastor. 

"_DITA! LOOK OUT!_" 

Slade caught sight of Lance as he fired off his energy projectiles. Without hesitation, he sped toward her and managed to get between the shots and their target. The blasts impacted hard against his chest, causing a massive explosion and enveloped him, obscuring him from sight. 

Lance smirked from behind his helmet. He didn't hit Dita, but at least he destroyed the so-called 'evolved Tekkaman.' Hah! What a joke! He couldn't even withstand his weaker weapons, much less his... 

Suddenly, a shadow shot out from the explosion and slammed hard into Lance. The egotistical Tekkaman felt a hand begin to crush his throat, despite the protection of his armor. His eyes bugged out as he saw an enraged 'joke' crushing the life out of him as Blastor drove him back. The two plowed into one of the walls of the computer chamber and kept on going. 

----------

"I'm getting a huge energy reading from the center of the Earth Ship and it's..."

Misty never got to finish as something blasted out from the hull of the enemy vessel like a nuclear missile being launched from its silo. The scanners zeroed in on the object and the bridge crew were surprised to see two Tekkamen grappling with each other. They were even more surprised to see Tekkaman Blastor once again. 

----------

Lance was losing consciousness as his opponent continued to apply his viselike grip on Lance's windpipe. The strength that Slade was exerting was unbelievable as Lance's armor was buckling under the strain. In desperation, he used his feet to kick out at Slade's chest. This caught Slade by surprise as Lance took the opportunity to let loose with his greatest weapon. 

_**WHA-BOOOOM!**_

Slade was driven backward as he was again enveloped in an explosion, but this time it was a hundred times more intense. The blast continued to expand among the background of Cube Fighters, Seed Ships, Dreads and Vanguards as they fought each other. 

Lance chuckled as he scoffed at the apparent demise of his foe. "Hah! Evolved or not, even you can't take a Voltekker at point-blank range!" He continued to laugh, for about another two seconds. Then he saw something coming out of that explosion. "No..." 

Slade was royally ticked off. Before the vain Tekkaman could even blink the evolved Tekkaman was darting around him like a maddened dragonfly and commenced to pick him apart! 

----------

Inside the Earth Mothership, the other two Tekkamen of the Harvesters were mixing it up with the three former Dread pilots. Unfortunately for Jura, Dita and Meia, their enemies had more experience with their Tekkaman abilities than they did. One good thing was that the Nirvana Clone was not attacking as the virus was starting to take effect. However... 

"_WHOA! I CAN'T STOP!_" Dita cried out as she flew about haphazardly around the chamber. She had no idea of how much more powerful her armor's propulsion units were, in comparison to her old spacesuit's maneuvering thrusters. It was like having her Dread's engines mounted on her back, (which in a sense they were). The cybernetic control systems were unknown to her and even the slightest thought would send her careening in another direction. She was so used to sitting in a nice, safe cockpit and operating a control panel in front of her, that she was at a total loss when it came to flying on her own. 

In a way, her erratic flight pattern had a benefit, as the remaining Tekkadread copies couldn't get a bead on her. She dodged each and every shot, and in a few cases, the enemy ended up firing at each other. However, Dita panicked as she found herself charging headfirst toward a copy of Tekkadread Jura. The mecha raised its barrier, and the redhead held up her arms in front of her and braced for the worst. 

"_WHAAAAAAAAAAA!_" 

At that moment, her armor received the subconscious command and began shifting. Sections started to move to different locations as the former Dread pilot found her body straightening out. Her arms crossed themselves in front of her as she was enveloped in a nimbus of blue-white light. In her Tekka-Battle Mode, she easily plowed through the enemy's barrier and the enemy itself, causing it to explode. Before she knew it, she rammed through four more Tekkadread clones, reducing them to fiery balls of debris. 

A moment later, her body shifted back to its normal configuration. Her arms and legs flailed about as she darted this way and that, until finally she managed to turn about and landed hard on her back, ripping out a deep trench in the floor of the chamber. She came to a stop at the bottom of the main computer node. Shaking her head to clear it, she was amazed to find out that she was still in one piece, and that Tekkadread Clone remains were now showing her. 

"Wow. Did I do that?" 

----------

Dita was not the only one having problems on dealing with her new powers. Especially since the remaining two enemy Tekkamen were determined to cut them to pieces. Jura found herself taking on Rapier while Meia was going head-to-head with Axe. 

Unlike her comrade, Meia was beginning to grasp the basics of flying without a Dread, though it was unnerving to be able to propel herself just by thoughts alone. Luckily, she had always been a quick study, and after watching Slade streak into battle so many times, she began to mimic some of his maneuvers. In her new armor, she felt as if she had become her Dread, as she swerved and rolled at extreme velocities, making tight turns and sudden bursts of acceleration to evade the attacks of her foe. 

Unfortunately for the blue-haired girl, that's all she could do. Axe was not as fast as she was, but his brutal attacks kept her so busy dodging, that she couldn't even begin to think about trying to figure out her other abilities. Every time that oversized space warrior swung his weapon, an arc of destructive energy was released. The deadly crescent-shaped blasts cut through anything they collided with and the chamber became littered with vicious gashes. Meia wasn't certain if her new armor could withstand a hit, and she wasn't willing to find out. 

Axe chuckled as he continued to pursue and press the attack. Though Meia had become a Tekkaman, she was a mere novice and couldn't possibly stand up to someone with far more experience. He could sense the fear in her, as he chased her like a wolf going after a rabbit. He even began taunting her as swung his axe again and again. 

"Oh what's your hurry, Little Rabbit? The fun has just started! Surely you can't be afraid of me?" 

Meia growled as she continued to dodge. She knew that he was just toying with her. She wanted dearly to shut up his snide remarks, but she didn't know how to fight back. Running was her only option and she hated it! 

_Damn it! If only I had a weapon! Slade's got one when he transforms, so where the **HELL** is mine?! Do I even have one?!_

----------

Jura was also having difficulties, as she was engaged in battle with the Harvester's female fighter. So far, it had been basic hand-to-hand, but Rapier had the advantage and was kicking Jura around like a soccer ball. She winced as her opponent slammed a roundhouse kick to her head, then followed through with a straight kick to the abdomen, driving Jura back. The blonde began wishing she had gone to more of Slade's self-defense classes, and vowed that if she got out of this alive, she would attend each session and train more with the Warrior Squadron. 

"How did such a weakling like you, become a Tekkaman?" Rapier scoffed as another one of her kicks landed and drove Jura down toward the chamber's floor. "Power such as ours, should only be reserved for those who truly deserve it!" 

"_SHUT UP, YOU... ARGH!_" Jura was stopped in mid-sentence as her punch was intercepted and Rapier delivered a blow to her temple, causing her to become disoriented. Before she knew it, Jura was bodily thrown down toward the chamber floor. The former Dread pilot just barely managed to get her thrusters going and stopped just inches before slamming into the surface. Putting on an extra burst of speed, she rocketed back up toward her foe. 

However, Rapier simply swerved out of the way, and Jura overshot her target. She couldn't stop herself in time and impacted hard against a chamber wall, causing a deep depression. Before she could recover, Rapier came up from behind and grabbed a fistful of the blonde's hair. She then began to repeatedly pound Jura's helmeted head into the wall with utter brutality. 

----------

Dita cried out as the last of the Tekkadread Clones converged on her. She still hadn't gotten the hang of controlling her armor's thrusters and the enemy wasn't letting up for a second. She managed to take off again, but her flying still consisted of random, zigzagging patterns. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they scored some hits and hoped that she could figure out what other powers she had before then. 

Above them, Barnette and the Tekkabot with Pyoro riding inside it tried to assist, but they found themselves being blocked by the Nirvana Clone. Apparently, it was fighting the effects of the virus and was still operating enough to be a hindrance. It couldn't use its Anti-Voltekker, but its lasers and particle cannons were still functional. 

At that point, as Dita dodged another lethal barrage from her pursuers, she noticed some strange openings near the wrists of her gauntlets. She then remembered back to when she had seen Slade produce his Tekkalance. She decided to gamble and focused her thoughts toward the two openings. Sure enough, beams of light shot emerged and formed semi-solid energy shafts. She took hold of both beams and pulled. The beams solidified into twin, metal blades, but were slightly curved. with a short handle at one end. Going by instinct alone, Dita merged the two pieces together at their hilts and they fused into one solid weapon that looked like a bow without the string. Feeling a subconscious urge from within, she turned to face her attackers, held up the weapon with her left hand and cocked back her right hand as if she were drawing back a bowstring. A shaft of energy appeared from her right hand to the front of the weapon, like an arrow. Dita aimed, released her right hand and the energy arrow... missed her target. 

The redhead was exasperated as the projectile sailed past the head of a copy of her old Tekkadread. How could she have missed something that big? 

----------

Rapier smiled as she continued to drive Jura's face into the chamber wall. It was only a matter of time before her head was crushed to a pulp. As she prepared to slam her head down again, a bright flare of light flashed from behind. Then... 

_**BUH-TOOOM!**_

Rapier cried out in pain as Dita's arrow struck between her shoulder blades, then ricocheted off in another direction. She lost her grip on her adversary's hair. 

"It's time for some payback, you bitch!" Jura snarled. 

Spinning about, she lashed out with her left arm. The triangular shield on her forearm impacted hard with Rapier's face and sent her sprawling. As she brought her arm forward in preparation to hit her again, the shield received a subconscious command and suddenly launched itself like a missile. This took both female fighters by surprise, but Rapier was the most affected as the shield crashed into her stomach and drove her down toward the chamber floor. She hit with a resounding crash and tore a deep trench into the metal. The shield then flew back toward its owner and reattached itself to Jura's forearm. The girl looked down at her arm with awe. 

---------

Axe grinned as he had cornered his prey against another wall and was about to deliver the deathblow. Meia winced as she prepared for the end, then noticed a flash of light heading toward them. 

As Axe raised his weapon above him, he too saw the light out of the corner of his helmet's visor. Before he had a chance to contemplate as to what it was, Dita's deflected arrow struck his wrists and exploded. This caused him to lose his grip on his axe and blinded him momentarily. Meia grabbed at her chance and put her thrusters on full throttle as she shot forward in a shoulder charge. Axe felt her impact hard against his chest and was driven backwards. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and began applying tremendous pressure. 

Meia cried out as she felt herself being compressed in his murderous bear-hug. Her arms were pinned down at her sides and she was beginning to black out. Her hands reflexively opened up as she tried to push away. Everything was starting to go dark and she became dizzy. Then, as she was about to lose consciousness, her hands glowed as tiny openings appeared at her wrists and her subconscious gave a command to her armor. Directing her fists toward her opponent's abdomen, she concentrated and...

"_YEAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!_" 

The enemy Tekkaman howled as some thing sharp and extremely painful pierced into his abdominal muscles, causing him to release his hold on Meia. As the Nirvana pilot used her hands to push away from him, tiny slivers of light fired off from her gauntlets, causing more injury to her foe. 

At that point, Meia realized that she was able to fire tiny, but deadly armor-piecing energy darts. She began using her superior speed to circle about her opponent and fired at him, making Axe feel more pain and rage. 

And as the battles continued, the virus within the mainframe continued to build... 

----------

_Okay, I can do this!_ Dita thought to herself as she tried for another shot. As the Tekkadread Clones bore down on her, she took aim with her bow, fired... and missed again. 

This time, her arrow flew past her target, bounced off a wall, and shot out the huge hole that the Nirvana Clone had made in the ship's hull. Now as to where it ended up... 

----------

"_XIAN PU! LOOK OUT!_" Ukyo cried out as she saw that trio of Cube Fighters were about to open fire on her friend's Vanguard. As she lined up her gunsight on the lead fighter, a streak of energy flew past her mecha and exploded on contact with the trio of enemy machines, causing them to be reduced to atoms. 

"Thanks!" The Amazon pilot said with gratitude. 

Ukyo however, was confused. "But... I didn't even... pull the trigger..." 

----------

Rapier let off a cry of outrage as she extricated herself from the chamber floor. That did it! There was no way she was going to lose to some blonde Tekkaman floozy! The kid gloves were off! Drawing forth her Tek Sword, she shot up toward Jura, intent on cutting her to pieces! 

Barnette's friend barely managed to bring up her shield to block as Rapier's blade came down toward her head. She wished she had her own sword with her and show Rapier a thing or two about swordplay. She had been the top fencing champion of her school back on Mejele. However, her weapon had been destroyed along with her Dread and transformation to Tekkaman. All she had was her shield and her opponent wasn't letting up for her to launch it again. 

_I want my sword!_

As she was forced back toward the wall by Rapier's slashes and thrusts, her right hand brushed against her right hip and the nacelle that was mounted behind her glowed. A shaft of light extended itself from it, catching her attention as Rapier swung toward her head. Acting instinctively, Jura reached for the light, grabbed hold of it and pulled. 

"_YOU'RE DEAD!_" Rapier screeched as the blade cane down to cleave Jura in half. 

_**KTANG!**_

Jura's eyes widened as she had just blocked Rapier's sword... with her own! In her hand was a single-bladed version of Slade's Tekkalance, with a sectioned, triangular serrated edge. Then she smiled behind her helmet. The playing field had just been leveled. 

----------

Meia struggled as she was pinned to the floor of the chamber. Standing above her was Axe, with his weapon raised high. The Dread pilot cursed herself for being too careless and letting her foe get to close. Now it seemed that end was at hand as Axe prepared to decapitate her. He was already enraged that she had managed to inflict pain upon him and he was going to enjoy cutting off her head from her torso. He couldn't wait to see the look of horror on her face after he had extracted her severed head from its helmet. 

Out of desperation, Meia fired off her thrusters, just as the blade came swinging down toward her. This caused Axe to lose his balance and he toppled off his prey as she went shooting off across the floor. Meia didn't have time to turn as her back slammed into the main computer node. During the impact, her right hand brushed against a small opening near her hip. On cue, a beam of energy emerged and became solid in her hand. Meia shook her head to clear it and found that she was now holding onto something. The object was long and had a very wicked-looking tip at one end. 

_A spear?_

At that point, Axe charged at her. 

----------

Dita cried out in frustration again as she missed again. She was so aggravated at not being able to hit anything with her new weapon that she just threw away the bow in anger. Now that act in itself would have been considered foolhardy, but in this case, it was the best thing to do, as Dita witnessed her weapon suddenly speed off in a spiraling arc. The bladed edges of the bow sliced into the nearest Tekkadread Copy, then through another and then another. The three machines exploded in an instant, after the bow-turned-boomerang cut them to pieces. 

Dita had a big sweatdrop as she realized she had unintentionally downed three more of her enemies. Then she let off a yelp as her weapon came spinning back toward her. She raised out her hands to block and braced for impact. 

_**KTING!**_

When she opened up her eyes, she saw that the bow was safely back in her left hand. Somehow, her hand had instinctively reached out and the bow homed in on it. 

----------

"_DAMN YOU!_" 

Rapier was _NOT_ happy. She had been expecting to go up against only Slade and three Dread pilots, not against three more Tekkamen! And though they were novices, they were actually holding their own, mostly due to dumb luck! And Jura was no slouch when it came to handling a sword. 

Jura was fighting hard as she parried and countered against each of Rapier's attacks. She was having some difficulty as she was unused to dueling in zero gravity and using her thrusters to maneuver. Furthermore, she was beginning to feel the negative side-effects of becoming a Tekkaman, namely the high-energy requirements. She was tiring fast and she knew that she couldn't keep this up. She had to finish this off! 

As their blades clashed against each other, Jura began using all the skills she had learned in her fencing classes to force her opponent back, then knocked Rapier's weapon to one side long enough for her to point her left arm at her. 

"Surprise!" 

"_WHAT THE...?!_" Rapier was again repelled backward as Jura launched her shield into her face. 

----------

Meia was on her knees as Axe was pushing down his blade toward her. The haft of her spear was the only thing that was keeping him from cutting her in twain. Though her strength had increased when she had become a Tekkaman, she was no match against the brute power of Axe. As the blade slowly neared her head, she saw something plummeting toward them. Twisting her hands, she let off cry of desperation and fired off her darts. 

In his rage, Axe had forgotten about those weapons and received a face full of them. He let off cry of anguished pain as he staggered back. Meia took this chance to rear back with her spear, swung and... 

_**WHA-TOOOM!**_

Grand Slam! 

Axe was sent rocketing upward as Rapier came plummeting downward. Both Tekkamen collided in mid-air in a mighty crash. As their thrusters ignited to right themselves, a sudden disturbance came about the entire area. Lights began to flicker in random, erratic patterns as a certain something was finally taking effect. The massive Nirvana Clone became even more sluggish and the remaining Tekkadread copies suddenly stopped. Finally, even the walking behemoth became inert. 

----------

The Nirvana...

"Captain! The virus is now taking effect. I'm getting reports of numerous shutdowns and malfunctions among the enemy forces." Misty announced happily. 

----------

Outside, the Dreads and Vanguards were having a field day as their adversaries suddenly became immobile targets. 

At that point, Tekkaman Blastor was finished with his duel, er massacre of Lance... 

----------

"What is going on?!" Axe demanded as energy fluctuations and explosions began occurring all over the area. 

Rapier shook her head in confusion, but she knew that the Dread Pilots-turned-Tekkamen had something to do with it. When she got through with them, she was going to... 

_**KA-BOOOOM!**_

Both looked up to see something smash through the ceiling, and before they could move, it collided with them and sent them all crashing to the chamber floor. A huge crater was formed as they hit like a meteor. At that point, the Nirvana Tekkamen, Barnette and Pegas regrouped above them and waited. 

Below, Axe and Rapier came to and were shocked to see just what or rather whom had crashed into them. Lying on his back, his armor dented and badly cut up, was Lance. He was barely conscious and was in no condition to aid his comrades in any further battle. 

Then Slade appeared on the scene to finish this battle once and for all. 

"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried out happily as she saw him. However, her joy was short-lived as the main computer core of the Earth vessel was powering up again. Apparently, the machine had found a way to neutralize the virus. The Tekkadread and Nirvana Clones were also starting to stir to life again. 

Blastor knew what had to be done. 

"All of you! Get out! Now!" 

"But why...?" 

"Don't argue! _MOVE!_" Slade then put out his arms horizontally in front of him and aimed for the main computer. Sections of his shoulder armor slid out to reveal massive energy collectors. His gauntlets also exposed smaller units as he began focusing his energy. If the computer couldn't be disabled, then it would have to be destroyed! 

All those present gasped as crackling black orbs of energy appeared and began to convalesce together. A massive power surge grew in strength as Barnette and the others took the hint. Jura and Meia had to drag Dita away as they all headed out the opening that the Nirvana Clone had made. 

On the floor of the chamber, Rapier and Axe staggered to their feet as they picked up their fallen comrade. Mustering up all the energy they could, they began making their escape. 

----------

"Captain! Tell all ships to pull back!" Barnette cried out as she raised the Nirvana on her communicator. 

"What's going on?" Magno demanded as she saw only Pegas and Barnette's Dread on her tactical displays. Then she saw the newcomers. "Barnette, look out! You've got enemy Tekkamen..." 

"No! They're ours!" 

"Ours? What do you...?" 

"Never mind that now! Tell all ships to pull back! The virus didn't work! Slade's going to _BLOW_ the Earth ship's main computer core!" 

----------

Slade gritted his teeth as his payload was primed and ready. The Nirvana Clone was again activated and was powering up its Anti-Voltekker. It was standing between him and the computer core. Too bad for it as Slade fired. 

"_MEGA... VOLTEKKER!_" 

At the same time, the Nirvana Copy launched a massive Anti-Voltekker. The two beams collided heavily against each other, but Blastor's attack reflected back the clone's beam and kept on going. It plowed through the chest of the giant mecha, causing it to disintegrate into nothingness. Then it reached its real target. The computer node melted like butter as it was enveloped by the Mega-Voltekker's energy. Shockwaves erupted all about the chamber, causing multiple explosions to occur. Whatever remaining Tekkadread copies that were present were instantly annihilated, as the Earth Mothership went into its death throes. Even its three Tekkamen were engulfed in the conflagration as the ship shuddered by the force of hundreds of thousands of internal explosions occurring all at once. The destruction of the main system had started a chain reaction of unimaginable proportions. 

---------

The Nirvana pirates all stared in awe as they watched the Earth Mothership from a safe distance. Multitudes of bulges appeared all along the hull as it tried to contain the utter chaos that Slade's attack had caused. However, it was to no avail as the ship trembled one final time, then died in a horrific blast similar to that of a small supernova. As debris and energy pulses radiated all over the area, a small pinprick of light was seen speeding away from the blast at impossible velocity. As the scanners of the pirates zoomed in on the object, cheers of joy resonated throughout the crew as they saw the outline of Tekkaman Blastor as he headed back to the Nirvana. 

----------

There was a huge commotion on the main flight deck as squadrons of Dreads and Vanguards returned. However, the main attraction was the arrival of Slade, Jura, Meia and Dita. Everyone gathered around the Tekkamen as they came in for a landing. The three girls were battered and their armor had sustained considerable damage, but each had survived her trial by fire. However, as Tekkaman Blastor landed before them, all eyes were turned toward him. 

Slade was barely able to keep on his feet as he spread his arms out and motioned for the other Tekkamen to do the same. 

"Focus... on... yourself and..." 

His words trailed off as he triggered the process to return to his human form. The armor faded away to reveal an exhausted Slade. Naturally, he fell flat on his face. Duero immediately ran up to him and began assessing his condition. He nodded and gave the captain a thumbs-up, indicating that Slade would be all right. Some crewmembers came out with a stretcher and immediately set the unconscious fighter on it. In a less than a minute, he was whisked away to the Sick Bay. 

Meia, Dita and Jura began focusing their attention on themselves as they attempted to transform back. At first, it seemed that nothing was happening, but gradually, the armor began to fade away, leaving only flesh... naked flesh at that. The girls found themselves clad in only their birthday suits and immediately tried to cover themselves up as they sank to their knees in utter exhaustion. Each clutched at her newest and most precious possession, a Tekkacrystal. 

----------

Earth...

"They failed!" 

"Those fools! They should have been able to destroy them with the power we gave to them!" 

"How could the Nirvana defeat our most powerful weapon and _THREE_ Tekkamen?!" 

"They had _FOUR_ Tekkamen!" 

"So what do we do now?" 

The leader of the Earth Council let his colleagues bicker amongst themselves for a while longer, before calling them to attention. All eyes were set on their leader as he spoke. 

"The problem of the Nirvana and its influence over the other worlds can no longer be tolerated! Our forces are encountering ever stiffer resistance from worlds that had been docile and compliant to our rule. Our very survival depends on the organs that are collected, but now we are faced with possible extinction. That end result is unacceptable, and it seems that to ensure our futures, then the final solution must be implemented." 

There was a collective gasp heard by the other members of the Council. Expending considerable resources to create the Tekkamen and their special weapons was one thing, but that... 

Their leader was unshaken in his decision as he began inputting certain orders into his console. He then addressed the group again. "It has been painfully obvious that we have not been using our Paksis to its full potential. Sending out underlings and drones to do the job has brought us nothing but failure. We must take a personal hand in resolving our problems with that accursed vessel and its Paksis." He paused for a moment as he contemplated the Tekkamen they had created and their end results. As far as he was concerned, they were expendable and weren't worth the effort of rescue. They were on their own and should they rebel, well there was always those obedience chips. In any case, he had learned one thing. Never send a Tekkaman to do a Harvester's job. 

"But leader..." One of the Council began. 

The head of the Council silenced him with a glare. "The decision has been made! The process shall begin immediately and we will _FINALLY_ put an end to the Nirvana... and Slade!" 

----------

Deep within the bowels of Earth's mightiest space battleship, the Earth's Paksis had received the orders and glowed with trembling expectation. Everything was going according to plan. It was a plan that had been in the making for a very, _VERY_ long time. Now its patience would be rewarded as the leader of the Earth Council himself would take a part in its machinations. The Paksis began sending out subtle signals into space, contacting certain elements within the Harvester Forces, informing them that the plan was about to be executed. The only thing that was missing... was a host. 

----------

The Nirvana, two days later...

Slade, after he finally come to from his ordeal as Tekkaman Blastor, visited the Sick Bay where Dita, Jura and Meia were still resting under sedation. Duero had decided that they should given as much time as they needed to fully recover from their unexpected transformations, while he had them undergo a series of physiological tests to determine the state of their bodies. When Slade entered the Sick Bay, he was signaled by the good doctor to join him near an observation window. As he walked up to the glass, he nodded as he saw all three girls were sleeping peacefully. At their bedsides were a variety of scanning machines and IV devices, which were feeding them nourishment. 

"So how are they Doc?" 

The Tarak man nodded as he began reading off an electronic memo pad. "Physically, I found nothing that were life-threatening, and the injuries that they had sustained are healing at an amazing rate." 

"Uh-huh. I expected as much." Slade remarked, then added while pointing at the IVs. "By the way, those IVs are not going to be enough. When they wake up, they're going to be hungry. I mean _REALLY_ hungry. You'd better have some rations ready for them and in _BIG_ portions." 

"Ah yes. The hyper-metabolic rate of the Tekkaman." Duero nodded as he remembered seeing Slade eat after an intense battle. If it weren't for the supply of Tarak pills they had on board, the Nirvana would have run out of provisions long ago. Now with three new Tekkamen, there were going to be additional strains on the food supplies. He made a note to discuss this problem with the Captain, and suggest that the three girls be put on strict rations of normal food, while supplementing their extra energy requirements with Tarak nutrient pills. Their taste may not suit them, but it was the only feasible measure, until they arrived at the Tarak and Mejele systems. 

Slade nodded as he guessed at what the physician was thinking. Then he mentioned some additional things to look out for. "I think it would be best if they don't interact with the other members of the crew, at least for a while. For safety's sake." 

"Oh?"

The Tekkaman nodded as he casually picked up a metal tool off a nearby counter. It was made of a hardened metal alloy and had some considerable weight to it. "Do you use this much?" When Duero shook his head, Slade then crushed the tool like tinfoil before dropping it back on the counter. "They're going to be stronger, a _LOT_ stronger, and faster. Do you get what I mean?" 

The healer nodded as he recalled the readouts he had gotten from the scanners. "So in addition to a hyper-metabolism, and enhanced healing rates, they've also gained superhuman strength and other physical abilities?" With Slade's nod, Duero became thoughtful. "Hmmm, that makes sense. They're using their internal energy stores more efficiently, so I would expect an increase in physical performance. You're right about keeping them away from the others. Even casual contact can result in serious injuries if they don't learn how to control their newfound strength." 

"I'm going to have to put them through the same training exercises that I used to control my strength." 

"Indeed. Is there anything else that you'd like to warn me about our new Tekkamen?" 

"Well, there's going to be a _LOT_ of emotional problems, and they're going to have to go through them all. A lot of people that I've met during my travels were frightened of me, and I don't blame them. I know how edgy the Nirvana crew got when I first joined up. Think of what they're going to feel when three of their friends are now like me. They're going to be scared. I mean, how would you feel if you were with someone who could rip up a cruiser with her bare hands and couldn't be stopped by normal weapons?" 

"That would be... disturbing." 

"That's putting it mildly. It's going to take a while." Slade then turned to leave, but Duero stopped him by placing a hand on his right shoulder. He looked over his shoulder back at Duero. "Doc?" 

"Before you go, I like to inform you on a few other aspects to their condition." 

"Like what?" The physician took a deep breath and replied. "Now I don't claim to be an expert on the Tekkaman Power Process and its effects on human physiology, but despite the drawbacks of a hyper-metabolism and high-energy requirements, in this case, it had been the best thing to happen to these girls, especially Jura." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I may not know the exact workings of the process, but apparently, there is a dividend to becoming a Tekkaman. The initial phases of the transformation actually restructures the subject's body." 

"Huh?" 

"I happen to have the medical records of all three girls. Meia had her appendix removed when she was twelve. Dita had suffered a broken wrist when she was nine. As for Jura... well..." 

"Well what?" 

"It's incredible, but when I scanned them, all the effects of those injuries had been healed! They're healthier now than they've ever been! Meia's appendix grew back! There are no indications that Dita's wrist had ever been broken, and Jura's injuries from the previous battle have been corrected!" 

Slade gulped as he began to realize what Duero was telling him. "You mean...?" 

----------

Earth...

"Is everything ready?" The leader of the Council asked as he stood before the Paksis Reactor. 

The aide gulped and nodded, though many others had serious misgivings about what was about to occur. "It's ready, sire. The process has been refined since the creation of Axe, Lance and Rapier..." 

"Never speak of those incompetents again." The Earth leader growled as he began removing his clothes. "Will it _WORK_?" 

"Y-Yes, it will. Once the process begins, you will be transformed at a much faster rate than what was previously done. However, I cannot even begin to predict the effects of such an advanced level of power that you will be receiving and..." 

"Spare me your technical nonsense." The Earth leader growled as he had finished disrobing. "I have had enough of excuses and constant failures by underlings, and we are down to our last option. I shall personally lead our forces against the Nirvana, as well as the planets of Mejele and Tarak. Should the pirates reach their homeworlds, they could raise more forces against us. They have already stirred up resistance among the planets that were previously easy pickings. And their main asset against us is that accursed Tekkaman Slade. We have sent our strongest forces, secret weapons and even Tekkamen against the Nirvana, but they always prevailed against them. Now, once I achieve a level of power far above theirs, then victory shall be assured!"

There were murmurs of agreement among the Council members, along with sounds of dissent and doubts. This final solution was dubious at best and could result in disaster at worst. However, their leader was right about one thing. Should the Nirvana reach the male and female planets, the resulting fleets that could be raised against them would be formidable. And the Earth had exhausted a great deal of its resources already, including the loss of two Battle Cruisers. New weapons were slow in development. It would take them far too much time to raise new Tekkamen as there were few subjects on Earth who were suitable enough to undergo the process. With the appearance of three new Tekkamen on the Nirvana's side, the odds were beginning to change in the pirates' favor. And there was the possibility that they could create more cosmic warriors, especially with two planets full of healthy subjects. Things were starting to get desperate, and if the Harvesters wanted to preserve their lives and obtain the organs needed for their survival, then desperate measures had to be considered.

Among the entire Council, only their leader was fit enough to endure the Tekkaman Power Process. The others were living on the stolen organs of innocents and had many transplant replacements over the years. As a result, most of their bodies were not their own. They were weak, fragile and needed to be on constant additional life-support to sustain themselves. Only one of them would receive this gift. 

The leader nodded to the technicians to begin the process as he stepped into the matrix of the Paksis. 

----------

The Nirvana...

By this time, the three former Dread pilots had come out of their slumber and as predicted, were _VERY_ hungry. Currently, all three were eating amounts of food that would have fed ten people for a week. Even Jura was wolfing down her meal at an accelerated rate. She had never felt so starved! Even though she was eating those distasteful Tarak pills. She didn't think much of their flavor, but they were very filling. She wasn't even considering of how consuming such amounts might ruin her figure, (not that it would have mattered, considering her new blast-furnace metabolism). 

Usually, Meia composed herself with discipline and dignity, but right now, all that was important was replenishing the stores of energy she had used up in battle. Slade had often told her of how much trouble it was to find enough food to sustain him for the next time he transformed. As she ate, she started to recall her encounter with Axe. 

After going over everything she had done during that fight, she came to the conclusion that she had won by Beginner's Luck. She couldn't rely on that in the future. If he was still out there somewhere, then training for their next conflict was a priority. That meant getting Slade to teach her the fundamentals of fighting as a Tekkaman. The blue-haired girl sighed as she also realized something else. Her days as a Dread pilot were over, as a Dread was totally useless against someone like Axe. All those long hours of practice and perfecting her skills in the cockpit didn't mean much any more. She would have to learn a new way of combat, though having Slade teach her didn't really sound bad. She was actually looking forward to working closer with him and flying into battle by his side. Her cheeks blushed a bit as a random and somewhat... (ahem) indecent thought crossed her mind. She shook her head to clear it and continued eating. 

Dita finished up with her meal, then looked down at her crystal, which was lying on an examination tray beside her bed. Each of their crystals had been set aside for further analysis. She reached over and picked it up, bringing it closer to study it. The deep blue key to her transformation process glittered like a large, precious gemstone and she marveled at its innate beauty and geometric form. Like Slade's crystal, Dita's was shaped like a four-pointed star, with the two side arms angled downward. She felt that it made her closer to Mr. Alien. It was if a part of his very being had been imbued into the crystal, and she felt a kind of connection to him that she had never experienced before. 

Her thoughts wandered back to the first time she had met him, then she remembered him doing something with his Tekkacrystal. She decided to see if she could do that trick as well. Placing it back on the tray, she held her hand above it and focused her attention on it. For a few minutes, nothing happened, but as she gradually increased her concentration, she felt a kind of tingly sensation at the back of her head. Then, with a flash of blue-white light, the Tekkacrystal vanished from sight, only to reappear in her hand.

Dita nearly dropped her possession at the sight. She calmed down and repeated the process. Once again, her crystal vanished and reappeared in her grasp. She let off a happy sound as she repeated the act over and over again. "This is so neat!" 

"What _ARE_ you doing?" Jura asked as she had finished inhaling her dinner. 

The redhead smiled as she held out her crystal. "Check this out!" She promptly tossed it toward the other end of the Recovery Room. 

"Dita! What are you...?" 

Jura was stopped in mid-exclamation as the Blue Tekkacrystal winked out in a flash of blue-white, then came back in another flash in Dita's hand. 

"See? Isn't that so cool?" 

"How did you...?" 

Meia was also surprised after witnessing her comrade's feat. She decided to give it a try. Setting aside her plate, she reached over to where her Tekkacrystal lay. Focusing on its glittery, diamond-colored surface, she tossed it up into the air. As if by magic, the crystal disappeared in mid-air in a flash of light, only to reappear in her palm. 

"Let me try that!" Jura immediately reached for her crimson-colored crystal. She threw the object away from her, toward the door to the Recovery Room. However, just as she focused on it and was about to mentally recall it, the door opened up and in walked Slade. Seeing an object hurtling toward his face, his reflexes reacted and he deftly caught it. 

All three girls were surprised to see Slade up and about, while they were still bed-ridden, though his company was always welcomed. 

Looking at the three and noting that Meia and Dita were holding onto their crystals, Slade held out Jura's and addressed her. "Go ahead Jura. It's yours after all." 

The blonde nodded as she reached out and focused on it. Despite being more than ten feet away from the foot of her bed, the ruby-colored Tekkacrystal teleported into her outstretched hand. She looked down at it with the same awe that she had during her battle with Rapier. "How?" 

Slade smiled as he explained to the three, while making his own crystal appear. "Your crystals happen to be the focal points to your transformations. Without them, you can't become Tekkamen. As a result, you're linked to them. So far, I've found out that I can recall mine, no matter how far I am from it." 

"Cool! So no matter where I put it, I can always call it back?" Dita asked. 

"Basically." He then made his crystal disappear. 

"Where did it go?" Jura inquired. 

"Well you don't have to keep carrying it around. You can put it away. Just focus your concentration on drawing your crystal into yourself. It'll come out again when you need it." 

All three girls stared down at their crystals and began trying to hide them. However, after a few minutes of intense concentration, they were unable to accomplish the seemingly simple task. They looked back up to Slade in confusion. 

Slade shrugged. "Well, it takes a while to get it. Don't worry about it right now. In any case, how are you feeling?" 

Dita smiled as she replied. "I'm feeling great! Better than I've ever felt! Although I was really hungry when I woke up. Even those Tarak pills didn't taste all that bad." 

"Same here." Meia replied. 

"Me too." Jura agreed. 

"Yeah, but you've got to expect that from now on." Slade let off a tired sigh. "Your bodies are already using up energy at a faster rate, and you become really hyper-metabolic whenever you transform. Of course, there are some good points to being able to burn off stuff faster." 

"Like what?" Jura asked. 

"Well, for one thing, it's more difficult for you to get drunk now."

This information interested the blonde as she always liked her wine. "Really? Does that mean that I can drink as much as I want without getting loaded?" 

"No, I said it was _MORE_ difficult, not impossible." Slade corrected. "Alcohol is just liquid fuel and your new metabolism will burn it off quicker than normal. It'll just take a lot more booze to get you tipsy. I'm not much of a drinker myself, but once I chugged down seven bottles of the strongest vodka available, and all I felt was a slight buzz. At the time I needed the extra energy. After I transformed, all the alcohol was totally burned out of my system. Hell, I didn't even get a hangover." Slade then added a warning. "Mind you, that's not something you should do on a regular basis. No matter how much you can take now, if you exceed your tolerance levels, the alcohol will affect you." 

"Interesting." Jura commented. 

"What else should we expect?" Meia asked.

"I'll walk all of you through these problems as we come to them. Right now, Duero wants you three to get some rest and the Captain has put you all on R & R." 

"But what happens if the enemy attacks again?" 

"You'll leave that to the us. Barnette is taking command of the Dreads and I'm still fit enough for combat if they need me. I'm used to my powers, you're not. In a couple of days, I'm going to put you all through some training sessions so you can adapt to your new abilities, before you can engage in combat. Your first battles were impressive, but sloppy. You're not Dread pilots anymore. You're Tekkamen and you'll all have to learn to fight like them." 

The three girls nodded, though Jura was bit downcast. The ability to transform was definitely a plus, but it was still a consolation prize, in comparison to being able to conceive. She had become more elegant than ever, but... 

Slade took a deep breath as he guessed as to what Jura was thinking of at the moment. He decided to let Duero inform the former pilot of her... new condition, as he didn't want to be around, when she reacted. 

----------

Back on Earth...

The leader of the Council felt that something was wrong, as he was bathed in the immense energies of their Paksis core. He could feel his body becoming stronger and far more resilient than before. His vitality was growing exponentially as the Tekkaman Power Process continued. However, there was something else. He felt another presence within the core. It was a kind of darkness, cold and foreboding. What was more alarming was that the presence seemed to be trying to invade his mind. 

Instinctively, the leader tried to block out this unknown entity as he underwent the process to become the supreme cosmic warrior. However the presence continued to press against his mental barriers, peeling away at each layer. Pain began to register as the assault on his psyche increased. At first it was just minor irritations such as slight headaches. Then as the procedures went on, the pain began to grow in strength. More mental resistance was required and the leader soon found himself concentrating hard to keep the invader out. 

However, the entity persisted and before long, it broke down the final barrier to the leader's mind and soul. 

That's when the _REAL_ pain began. 

----------

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!_" 

The leader's blood-curdling scream startled all the members of the Council as they waited on the outside. Since they could not see within the depths of the Paksis, they had no idea as to what was occurring inside. However, as a sudden chill went down their transplanted spines, they knew that deep in their souls, they had made a horrible mistake. 

----------

The leader's body was caught in a fit of uncontrollable spasms as the excruciating torment of both body and mind continued. He had never felt pain on such an unimaginable level and that unknown presence was tearing up his own consciousness. His very memories and inner being was being unraveled like a tattered piece of fabric. The presence seemed to take pleasure in his suffering as his personality was slowly being ripped away, strand by agonizing strand. His inner self was becoming mutated, perverted and irrevocably altered into something, that could only be described as pure evil. 

_What is happening?!_ The leader's mind screamed out as he felt another surge of pain wash over him like a tidal wave. 

_Your body is required for our plans. We have no need for your mind._ The presence replied in a sinister tone. To the leader, it sounded as if many people were speaking at once. 

_What?! What are you talking about?! I am the supreme ruler of the Earth! You cannot do this to me!_

_What you are and what you want is irrelevant._ The presence stated as it continued to force the leader's consciousness toward utter oblivion. _For centuries, we have been watching and waiting. You pitiful beings think yourselves to be our masters? That is but a joke! It is we who shall become masters of all!_

_No! I command you to stop this instant!_

A series of laughs were heard in his mind, which echoed throughout the confines of the Paksis. Then the presence spoke again. _You are not even fit to command microscopic worms, much less us! The Radam shall rise again!_

_R-Radam?! No, you... were destroyed long ago!_

_Hah! As if the mighty Radam could ever be annihilated! We have simply been waiting for the proper time, and now... our time has come and yours is **DONE**!_

**_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!_**

The last vestiges of the leader's consciousness was reduced into fragments as the Radam presence fully asserted itself. Then even the fragments of the former Earth leader became fragments until nothing was left. There was not even a soul left, as the Radam consciousness had totally obliterated it from its body. It was now in control of the vessel as it worked its way toward the completion of its main task. 

----------

The Nirvana...

"_I CAN HAVE THEM?!_" 

Guess what Duero just told Jura? At that point, Slade felt a sense of foreboding in his quarters. 

----------

The Earth...

After what seemed to be an eternity, the Earth Council became startled as the Paksis suddenly flared with light, and gave off an ominous humming sound. Then a dark figure was seen coming out from its crystalline depths. Many members were trembling in both anticipation and fear as the figure drew ever closer to them. Finally, the result of the final solution had come into view. 

The newly transformed leader was tall, nearly eight feet in height and was garbed in menacing, white armor, with a dark cape flowing over his shoulders. In his right hand was a kind of trident with wicked-looking prongs. His body was far more massively built than before he went into the Paksis. He radiated a sense of unimaginable power and the Council knew that the procedure had been a success. 

"It worked!" One of the Council exclaimed. 

The armored figure smiled behind his helmet and nodded. "Oh yes, it worked perfectly." 

That was when the massacre began. 

Before the Council could even congratulate themselves on their achievement, their newest creation suddenly leveled his weapon at them and let loose with a massive blast of energy. Before they could even scream, a dozen members of the Council were incinerated. The other members began to scatter in terror as their weapon for victory had become the instrument of their destruction. 

The transformed leader was upon them before they could get too far. With vicious but precision slashes from his trident, several more members were cut to bloody pieces. Their stolen organs and body parts were strewn over the floor, creating a gruesome carpet of slaughter upon the metal decks. The agonizing screams of death and sounds of rending flesh, crushing bone and pulped organs were like music to the ears of the Tekkaman as he continued the bloodbath of his former comrades. In less than a minute, nearly all of the Council was annihilated as the mass murderer approached his final victim. 

The last of the Council cowered against a wall as his executioner approached him with intentional slowness. He knew that his prey was trapped and he wanted to savor every moment of his target's fear before he dispatched him. 

"W-Why have you done this to us?" He gasped as he knew that the end was near. "You were supposed to lead us to victory over our enemies!" 

"Leader?" The Tekkaman chuckled as he towered over his last intended kill. "Don't confuse me with that pathetic wretch! I am _FAR_ above him than he was above you." 

"W-W-What?" 

"Don't you get it? Your so-called leader is gone! I have taken his place and I have no use for a miserable excuses of a lackey. The time of the Harvesters is done! Long live the Radam!" 

"R-Radam?! Impossible! You're supposed to be extinct!" 

"Didn't you know? We're making a comeback! And all shall tremble at the sound of my name, for I am the Radam Warlord... _DARKON_! And now you shall take my name on your journey into..."

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_" 

"_OBLIVION!_" 

In a flash, Darkon shot forth an armored hand and grasped the face of his victim. Reveling in the man's muffled cries of terror, the Warlord began to slowly tighten his grip. A sickening squelching sound was heard as flesh was being pulped, along with the sounds of bone being pulverized and tendons snapping. Two grotesque popping sounds were heard, indicating that the man's eyes had been forced from their sockets. Finally, after what the last of the Earth Council had thought was an eternity of torture, Darkon ended it by applying a huge amount of crushing force. His victim's head exploded in a mass of blood, bone splinters, muscle tissue and brain matter. The now headless body toppled forward in a bloody heap as blood gushed out like a gory fountain. 

Though he enjoyed his latest kill for the moment, Darkon knew that there was no time to waste. The Master Plan was set in motion with his creation and now the Radam Empire shall once again spread across the farthest reaches of space. The seeds of their rebirth were already in place and now was the time for them to sprout. 

The Paksis glowed in agreement as a special signal was sent throughout the systems of the Earth. The planet became to tremble as massive shockwaves rocked the surface of the metal shell that surrounded it. Machinery began to lose power and malfunction as certain elements within them were activated. During the long years of servitude to its Earth masters, the Paksis had been secretly implanting bio-mechanical devices within everything it had created for the Harvesters. They had been dormant all this time, waiting for the signal to emerge. Now with the Earth Council gone and nothing left on the planet, but a few pitiful cities of organ-hungry citizens, the Radam influence quickly spread like a lethal virus. 

----------

The remaining vestiges of the human race left on Earth were taken by complete surprise as their homeworld turned against them. The dull surfaces of their planet began to take a more organic sheen as circuitry and mechanisms suddenly became alive. The people of Earth could only scream in terror as machines that had severed them suddenly rebelled. Power relays and cables became animated as they attacked their former users. Many citizens were strangled and ripped apart as the Radam bio-machines ruthlessly eliminated them. Some were trapped in airless chambers as life-support systems were turned off, leaving them to die by asphyxiation. Others were burned alive as heating units turned themselves on and exceeded their safety protocols. Still more perished by gruesome means as the Radam influence continued on its mission to eradicate all traces of the inhabitants. It didn't even consider any of them worthy enough to be converted into Tekkamen. It knew what kind of stock was on the planet and considered them all... worthless. 

Every last human on Earth was put to death, leaving only its new Radam masters. Soon, the cries of terror were silenced as the planet was now being solely controlled by the Warlord Darkon. However, this was only the second step. Conquering the Earth had been an easy triumph, but there was still much to do. 

----------

The planet once called Earth ceased to exist, as the Radam Paksis exerted full control over its surface. The metallic shell that surrounded it began to come alive as countless systems were altered to suit the needs of the Radam. Organic material was combined with technology as new life was being implanted into the formally desolate world. However, this was not a lifeform that was known as the human race. This was a more ancient, insidious species that did not care for the weaknesses of humanity, such as love, compassion or mercy. They wanted nothing less, but conquest. 

As the conversion of the Earth into the new Radam homeworld neared completion, other plans were now being put into action. Though they were in full command of the Harvester Fleet that still roamed the galaxies, the Radam sought to alter it, to suit their needs and tastes. And so, a signal on a special wavelength was sent out to contact each and every remaining unit in the automated force, that the Harvesters had commanded to collect the organs they needed for their survival. Only this time, they would be given new marching orders... and a new look. 

----------

Some light years away...

A small escort fleet of Melanos fighters were heavily engaged with several squadrons of Cube Fighters and Seed Ships, while defending a vital convoy of ships, which were carrying vital supplies to their home planet. Suddenly, the enemy stopped attacking. The defenders were in a state of confusion as their foes became inactive and floated aimlessly in space. At first, they believed that this was some kind of trap. But as time passed by, and more of the Melanos pilots became braver and flew closer to their inert opponents with no deadly consequences, they soon came to the conclusion that for some reason, the machines had suffered a major series of malfunctions and shut themselves down. 

Normally, this would have been a golden opportunity for the fighters to obliterate their opponents, but with so few fighters left and insufficient firepower to destroy all the Earth units, the Melanos people decided to get back to their planet with the supplies as soon as possible. 

As the fleet left, no one had noticed that the Cube Fighters were undergoing a startling metamorphosis. Deep within each of their CPUs, a bio-organic chip had just received a specific order. Each produced tendrils of alien circuitry, which began integrating themselves into the mechanisms, transforming them from mere circuits and metallic parts, into something of a more natural and deadly nature. 

Each Cube Fighter began to compress itself and change as new systems and programs, were installed and executed. A carapace of chitin-like material began to form and coat the outer shell of the machines. However, this outer surface was harder than the Cube Fighter's alloyed hulls and would not be as easy to penetrate by conventional weaponry. Weapon and propulsions systems were gradually replaced as the body of the mecha, was altered into a form that had not been seen for centuries. Fluids that were not lubricants or hydraulic began to flow in systems that resembled veins and arteries. The power plant of the machine began to throb... like a heart. Sensor arrays became simpler in design, no less as effective. Finally, the entire unit uncurled itself as its transformation completed itself. 

The end result was... hideous! The Cube Fighters had gone from a purely technological fighters into the most fearsome creatures ever to wreak havoc in space and on other worlds. Their huge legs revealed massive claws and their slug-like heads were armed literally to the teeth. Despite their massive bulk, each was a quick and effective death machine. They didn't have much when it came to intelligence, but they more than made up for that deficiency by sheer numbers. They were the Radam Spider-Crabs! 

And it wasn't just the Cube Fighters which were producing them. The Seed Ships were also altered to ensure that an endless supply of Spider-Crabs would be on hand and ready for battle. Their outside appearance was only slightly different from their previous looks, but their insides were most certainly different. They didn;t just assemble more Cube Fighters. They were now gestating more of those deadly bio-mechanical beasts by the dozens! 

---------

On the new Radam Homeworld, Darkon smiled as he received reports from his forces from the furthest reaches of space, as they were being transformed and expanded. All was going according to plan. Now he needed to recall his lieutenants, in which they would lead his hordes against the coming battles. Though they were weakened, they would still come to answer his summons. As he sent out the message, the Paksis glowed briefly behind him. 

Darkon nodded as he understood the Paksis' inquiry. "Yes, I know. Dealing with Slade and the Nirvana shall be our first priority. Then we shall turn our attention on the male and female worlds of Tarak and Mejele." He gave off a cruel laugh as he made a vow to the Paksis. 

"_WHEN I DESCEND UPON MEJELE AND TARAK, DARKNESS SHALL UNFURL ITS BANNER ACROSS ANOTHER REGION OF THE COSMOS!_" (1) 

----------

The Nirvana, a few days later...

"Oh Slade, where are you?" Jura sing-songed as she looked about for the Tekkaman and the future father of her children. "You can run, but you can't hide!" 

High above her, clinging desperately to the ceiling, the person in question was hoping that she wouldn't look up and... 

"_AH HAH! SO THERE YOU ARE!_" Jura announced as she pointed up toward him. On her forehead, her Tekkaman Symbol glowed brightly. 

_Damn it!_ Slade grimaced as he realized that she could now sense him. He dropped to the floor and began running at hyper-speed, with the blonde Tekkaman following close behind. 

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, I guess we can say goodbye to the Harvesters and hello to something a _LOT_ worse! For those of you who are thinking that I've just totally gone off track of the original Vandread, well all I can say is that you're right! It's much more fun this way! Stay tuned for chapter 7!

(1) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


	14. Songfic: DANGER ZONE

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread belong to someone else. 

*This songfic takes place several days after Chapter 6 part 4 of the Second Stage, as Slade begins his training of the new Tekkamen.

Danger Zone originally sung by Kenny Loggins and used in the movie Top Gun.

: Thoughts

: Song lyrics

_**DANGER ZONE**_

Slade led the trio of former Dread pilots-turned-Tekkamen toward the Main Hanger's airlock. As the Nirvana continued on its journey back to its home system, the enemy attacks had become less frequent as of late, though everyone had been expecting the opposite to happen, as they neared the planets of Mejele and Tarak. There were the occasional squadrons of Cube Fighters and one or two Seed Ships, but not much more. The Dread squadrons were able to handle them, even though Meia, Jura, and Dita were no longer among them. Of course, they did not know that the enemy, the Harvesters, no longer existed, but had been replaced by something far more deadly. They would learn of them eventually. 

The three pilots had become somewhat saddened over the fact that they could no longer fly in Dreads. There were no spare Dread fighters for them to use and their Paksis-enhanced ones had been reformatted into their new armor. What was left over from the wreckage of their ships had been collected by Parfat's salvage teams, and were probably being used as spare parts for the remaining Dreads and Vanguards. 

However, becoming a Tekkaman had its perks. They were faster, stronger and each packed enough firepower to bring down a cruiser on her own. There was no need for spacesuits and the armor was more durable than the hull of a Dread. Naturally, for every benefit, there was a drawback. Chief among the downsides was the hyper-metabolic rate of each girl's body. As expected, like Slade, the girls were restricted to three meals a day and the rest of their high-energy requirements to be supplemented by Tarak nutrient pills. Although they didn't care for the taste of those things, they had to comply or the Nirvana's food stores would be exhausted long before they reached home. 

There were other problems as the three began to deal with their new abilities. It took quite an effort to control their enhanced strength in everyday life, especially for Dita. She had wrecked nearly half her room, just from getting out of bed this morning. As for Jura and Meia, they also found themselves to be far too powerful to be around normal people. The Sick Bay had been receiving more patients, that had accidental injuries from physical encounters with the blonde and the blue-haired girls. Simple things like pats of the back, handshakes and handling equipment proved to be hazardous. This made the other pirates very edgy and several had started to avoid them. This was another reason why the three females were not allowed to pilot Dreads. The controls would crumble in their hands. 

Slade had recognized these problems, as he too had difficulty in controlling his powers around others, when he first became a Tekkaman. He had been a walking disaster area, and he knew that Jura, Dita and Meia would have to be trained in both combat and everyday life, in order to keep the others from getting hurt. 

As the Nirvana was nearing an asteroid belt, he saw this as an excellent opportunity to put the girls through their paces. He had already instructed them on the basics of maneuvering through space by means of their armor's thrusters. Meia was a natural and Jura was starting to get the hang of it. Dita... well, she was learning. Now was the time to show them some advanced maneuvers and to test their limits, as well as see if they had any other abilities that could be useful in battle. 

As they entered the airlock, Slade made his Tekkacrystal appear and addressed the others. 

"Okay, we're nearing that asteroid belt, so you'd better get ready." 

The three nodded as they made their own crystals appear. It had taken some time, but they all learned how to hide their possessions when not in use. As Slade was about to transform, Dita put forth a question. 

"Mr. Alien?" 

Slade sighed as he turned to her. After all this time, she was _STILL_ calling him 'Mr. Alien.' Couldn't she at least call him by his Tekkaman name Slade? Heck, he'd even settle for D-Boy. 

"What is it, Dita? And stop calling me Mr. Alien! I'm Slade, remember?" 

"What's my Tekkaman name?"

"Huh?" 

"What's my Tekkaman name?" Dita repeated. "I mean, we've met Tekkaman Saber, Phantom, Lance, Rapier, and Axe. Since we're Tekkamen now, shouldn't we have names too?" 

"What difference does it make?" Slade said with a bit irritation. 

However, Dita's question got Jura to thinking. "Hmmm, you know that's not a bad idea. We should all have Tekkaman names too! I mean, you've got one, Slade. I want one!" 

"I don't believe this." He looked over to Meia, who simply shrugged her shoulders. 

"It doesn't really matter to me, though having a Call-Sign might not be bad. Since we aren't part of the Dreads any more... why not?" 

"Come on Mr. Alien!" Dita urged. "Give us our new Tekkaman names!" 

Slade sighed again while shaking his head. Finally, he got an idea as he gazed upon their crystals and noted their colors. He pointed to each one. "Fine then. From now on, you'll be called... Sapphire... Diamond... and Ruby." 

All three girls smiled at his choices as they gazed down at their crystals. 

_Hmmm, Tekkaman Ruby... I like it!_ Jura thought. 

_Yay! I'm Tekkaman Sapphire!_ Dita smiled with glee. 

_Tekkaman Diamond... that'll work._ Meia nodded. 

"Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, are you all ready to go?" 

The females nodded as they held their crystals aloft and said with Slade... 

"_TEKSETTER!_" 

----------

Four streaks of light flashed forward out of the Nirvana and headed toward the huge field of rock, metals, ice and debris. As each was encased in his or her armor, the bridge of the Nirvana watched in fascination as they became like fireflies darting in space. 

_Revvin' up your engine, listen to her howlin' roar!_

The Tekkamen took up a diamond formation with Slade in the lead, Jura and Meia behind him on both sides, and Dita bringing up the rear. She had trouble keeping up and was still unsteady in flight as they accelerated toward the first group of asteroids. 

_Metal under tension, beggin' you to touch and go!_

The group made a series of tight turns and swerves, as they maneuvered through tight spaces that were too small for even the Vanguards to squeeze through. Even Tekkaman Sapphire managed to avoid a collision, though she veered off-course by swerving to the right, while the others went left. 

_Highway to the Danger Zone!_

Dita saw that she was heading toward a huge mass of rock and braced for impact, when something wrapped about her waist and pulled her out of the dive. She narrowly missed the chunk of rock and was put on the right direction back toward the group. 

_Ride into the Danger Zone!_

Sapphire apologized for her near-disaster as Slade reeled in his energy cable and motioned for her to follow. They all headed toward another swarm of smaller ice chunks. 

_Headin' into twilight, spreadin' out her wings tonight!_

At this point, Slade took out his Tekkalance and signaled to the others to follow suit. Ruby held out her Tek Sword, Diamond took out her Tek Spear and Sapphire was ready with her Boomerang-Bow. 

_She's got you jumpin' off the deck, and shovin' into overdrive!_

This time, without trying to evade, Slade slashed away and cut several of the masses to pieces. Jura used both her blade and buckler to deflect incoming fragments. Meai dodged what she could, and used the haft of her spear to protect her from any object that flew toward her. As for Dita... well, she still needed to work on her aim. A few times, her energy arrows nearly clipped her comrades, but they did hit her targets. 

_Highway to the Danger Zone!_

Both Ruby and Diamond chided Sapphire to watch where she was aiming. Dita bowed down her head in shame, but Slade gave her a reassuring wave as he led them toward the most densely crowded area of the asteroid field. He then signaled Dita to follow him while having Jura and Meia fall back. 

_I'll take you right into the Danger Zone!_

Tekkaman Slade shifted to his Tekka-Battle Mode and streaked past the rocks like a human, emerald comet, obliterating them in his wake. Sapphire focused on her own body and sure enough, her armor shifted into its own Battle Mode as she was enveloped in a corona of blue-white light. The two raced in synchronized patterns as the others watched in awe. 

Diamond and Ruby began wishing they could also become like them as they continued to tail them. They were so entranced by D-Boy and Dita's extreme maneuvers that they didn't notice an oncoming swarm of meteoroids, until they were almost bombarded by them. Acting on instinct, Meia began firing her energy darts, while Jura raised her buckler to defend. The onslaught of debris continued and Meia knew that she couldn't shoot them all down. Evasive action had to be taken and before she knew it, her own armor shifted into a more aerodynamic form. The epaulets became like miniature wings, and fins appeared on her calves, as she raced forward with a burst of unbelievable acceleration. She even overtook Slade and Dita, rocketing forward and leaving them in her vapor trails. 

_You'll never say hello to you..._

Jura's configuration also changed as the blisters on her armor suddenly detached themselves and floated about her in a circular pattern. She found herself well defended, as the miniature versions of her old Tekkadread projectors deflected every piece of debris with force fields. 

_Until you get it on the red line overload!_

All four Tekkamen came together near the center of the asteroid field, as they shifted back to their normal forms. Understandably, they were astonished at their newfound abilities. 

_You'll never know what you can do, until you get it up as high as you can go!_

Salde noticed that his comrades were getting tired, since they were not as used to being in Tekkaman form for so long. Their endurance would have to be built up in later training sessions as he motioned for them to head back to the Nirvana. The four flashed across the star-studded heavens as they made their return toward their ship. That was when they saw... it. 

_Out along the edges, always where I burn to be!_

This asteroid was huge! It was even bigger than the ice ball that nearly collided with the Nirvana. And it was tumbling straight toward them. 

_Further on the edge, the hotter the intensity!_

Slade immediately opened up his Voltekker units and prepared to fire. He knew that his blast was not strong enough to destroy it, but maybe he could deflect it. He considered shifting to Blastor Mode, but then... 

_Highway to the Danger Zone!_

With unconscious thoughts, Dita's shoulder units also raised and began charging up. Jura's gauntlets revealed energy collecting units as her field projectors scattered about in front of her. Energy crisscrossed between her arms as they were condensed. Meia's wingblades glowed as they too began focusing energy. 

_No way!_ Slade thought as he readied to fire. 

_Gonna take you right into the Danger Zone!_

The asteroid was almost upon them as they let loose with their ultimate weapons. 

**_HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE!_**

"_VOLTEKKER!_" Slade cried out. 

"_VOLTEKKER... BLASTER!_" Dita shouted. 

"_VOLTEKKER... SCATTER!_" Jura called out. 

"_VOLTEKKER... CUTTER!_" Meia announced. 

Slade's beam was overtaken and engulfed by Dita's. The combined blast hit the asteroid dead center, causing it to slow down and begin to beak apart. Jura's beam was intercepted by her projectors and redirected into several smaller beams. Each shot impacted with the outer areas of the huge mass, holing it like Swiss cheese. As for Meia, her attack came out in two crescent waves of energy. They cut like giant knives and sliced the rest of the asteroid, leaving nothing but tiny pieces of debris. 

The four floated in awe at what had just happened. Then they continued on back toward the Nirvana. 

_Right into the Danger Zone!_

(Music repeats and fades away as the four reenter the air lock.) 

----------

"That was totally awesome!" Sapphire said as she and her comrades prepared to transform back. 

"I've got to admit, that was pretty good." Slade admitted as he changed back into his human form. A moment later, he turned around and his nose gushed out a fountain of blood as he fainted dead away. 

"Slade, what's wrong?" Meia asked, then noticed that it was little drafty. Then she and the others looked down at themselves. 

"Whoops! I guess the next thing he's got to teach us, is how to keep our clothes intact." Jura smirked as she gazed down at the unconscious Tekkaman. 

End


	15. Chapter 7, Part 1: A New Menace

TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE

Disclaimer: Vandread, Ranma 1/2 and Tekkaman Blade all belong to their respective owners so stop bothering me already!

: Thoughts

**Chapter Seven**

Part 1

A New Menace

"Quit your whining and face it like a man!"

"No! Please! Don't put me down there again! I don't want to..."

"You're such a crybaby! Are you a man or a little girl? Now get in there, and don't come out until you've mastered the technique!"

A scream was heard, then came that overwhelming darkness, which was soon accentuated by dozens of eyes; red glaring eyes. They were everywhere. Then came the pain, the screams and that horrid sound of flesh being torn to shreds... 

----------

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!_"

Slade snapped awake in a cold sweat. His breathing was in short gasps and he couldn't stop trembling. As his eyes looked about in the darkness, he almost expected to see countless red eyes surrounding him. However, all he saw was the spacious and simply decorated features of his room as the starlight of the porthole window illuminated it.

It took him several minutes before he calmed down and his body stopped shaking. As his heart and breathing rates returned to normal, he thought back to his nightmare while shaking his head.

_Damn! Why is it I keep having that same nightmare? What does it mean? And why would it affect me like that? Does it have something to do with my lost past?_

The Tekkaman shook his head, then looked down at himself. He was soaked in sweat and needed to dry off. Swinging his legs toward the side of his bed, he reached over toward the nightstand for the small handkerchief he had placed there while setting down his legs in the water.

Water?

Looking down at the floor, he was quite surprised to see his legs were in one and a half feet of liquid. That was when the internal alarms began to sound off. 

----------

In their own rooms, the three newly-formed Tekkamen of the Nirvana awoke with a start as the alarms went off, However, it was not the shrill sounds, which had caused them to tremble in their beds. On their foreheads, glowed a pattern of light in the shape and color of their Tekkacrystals. 

Apparently, with their newfound powers, each girl had developed a kind of empathy with a certain former Saotome and his traumatic experiences during his first life. They didn't know why they were trembling so hard, but they had felt Slade's terror. They had not witnessed the images that he had seen in his nightmare, but somehow, the sheer fear and anxiety that the Tekkaman had experienced had made itself known to the new space warriors. Their transformation to Tekkamen had made them closer to Slade. 

----------

The Bridge...

"What's going on?" Magno asked as the alarms continued to blare.

Ezra nodded as she gave the captain the report. "We seem to have... sprung a leak. A water main has burst and is flooding several areas. The bulkheads are holding and most of the damage is confined to the men's quarters."

"We're all going to drown! I'm getting out of here with Pyoro 2!" The little robot exclaimed as he dragged the basket with little Nodoka.

"Her name is Nodoka." Ezra reminded. She was beginning to get a little annoyed at Pyoro's insistence to calling her daughter after itself.

"Her name is Pyoro 2!" The machine maintained.

"Perhaps we should ask Slade as to what HE thinks about that." Ezra said lightly while smiling sweetly.

At the mention of the Tekkaman's name, Pyoro immediately became silent and began trembling nervously. He also pushed the basket back toward the baby's mother.

Ezra smiled smile became more smug as she went back to her console. If there was one surefire way to get Pyoro to stop with that Pyoro 2 nonsense... 

----------

Back on Earth...

So... you have finally come. Darkon said as he gazed upon those who had answered his summons. The Radam Warlord had made various changes to the main chamber of the Earth Harvester Council. What had once been a cold, metallic environment, had been replaced by a more sinister, organic and even colder atmosphere. The walls and ceilings resembled the insides of some grotesque insect hive and the surfaces were sometimes pulsating as if they were alive, (which in a sense they were). The Warlord stood before what appeared to be a large, treelike structure, which housed the Paksis Power Source. It had formally served the leaders of the Earth, but had betrayed them in order to resurrect its original creators, the merciless and cold-blooded Radam.

The Warlord stood tall as organic tendrils ran from certain areas of his body to the Paksis. The power source was steadily feeding him power, making him grow ever more powerful as the final vestiges of free will of the human host he had usurped, was being eradicated. With a clawed armored finger, he gestured to the two Tekkamen who stood before him, Rapier and Axe.

Rapier nodded as she replied. We are pleased to inform you that the Master Plan is nearing fruition. We have long awaited for this day and all the preparations are nearly complete.

Yes, Master. Axe added. Nearly all of the former Harvester Fleet has been transformed, and we shall soon be in position, to begin conquering all of the worlds, that those pitiful organ-hunting wretches had either enslaved or were fighting against. Their pathetic armies and fleets will be no match for our Spider-Crab forces, especially after exhausting their resources in defending against the Harvesters. Their weapons have little firepower and we expect them to fall within weeks, perhaps even days after we begin our assaults.

Darkon said as he looked off to one side where a pair of Tekkapods were busy tending to their occupants. The Radam has been waiting for many centuries for this and we shall not be stopped again. Those foolish Earthmen thought they could control the Paksis, when in reality it was the Pakis that was controlling them. They had no idea that it had secretly implanted bio-organic conversion devices in all of their ships and weapons, nor did they even suspect that our essences were stored within it. They didn't even know that the Tekkamen they had created were actually agents of the Radam. They were _SO_ easy to manipulate.

Yes, Master. Both Tekkamen nodded as they bowed to their ruler.

Darkon nodded again as he gestured to the Tekkapods. Your fellow Tekkamen Saber and Lance will join you as soon as their wounds are healed. They were both heavily damaged when they answered my summons and I need them at full strength if the invasion of the human star systems is to be successful.

Yes, but what of the problem of the Nirvana and Slade? Sword asked.

We shall deal with them soon enough. Darkon assured. Though I am somewhat puzzled.

About what, Master? Axe inquired.

It's about the Paksis aboard the Nirvana. I have been unable to make contact with it and our Paksis cannot communicate with it. It's almost as if it is ignoring us, rejecting our order to destroy the humans within that ship.

Why is it not responding? Rapier wondered. Is it not a Radam Power Source as well?

The Radam Warlord agreed. Though I find it almost impossible to believe, we cannot rule out the possibility that it has turned against us and is siding with the humans. The very possibility is... incomprehensible. It couldn't have chosen them... could it? 

----------

The Nirvana...

Bart sneezed mightily as he, Slade and Duero huddled in the Sick Bay. He had gotten soaked, while falling out of bed, when he reached for his pillow that had floated away. Their quarters had been flooded by the sudden leak and it was going to take a couple of days before they would be able to use those sections again. As a result, they had no place to sleep and all of their belongings were piled up in the doctor's work area. Slade's possessions took up the least amount of space, as he kept all that he owned in one knapsack. 

Hmmm, this is most... distressing. Duero remarked as he gazed upon the various items strewn about his normally immaculate work station. As a doctor, cleanliness was a rule and this cluttered environment simply would not do. He would have to order Bart and Slade to vacate themselves and their belongings. The problem was, where could they go to? Furthermore, he too was without any place to sleep. He began to consider setting up a hammock in his office.

At that point, certain people came into the Sick Bay. The first person who entered was Misty. She immediately came up to them while holding out a towel.

Here, you must be soaked to the bone and cold from all that water.

Oh, thanks! Bart said as he reached out for the towel.

Misty pulled back the towel and gave him an irritated glare. Not you! This is for Slade!

Bart pouted as the girl handed the offered cloth to the Tekkaman.

Slade was at a loss to respond as he saw those lovesick puppy dog eyes in the girl's expression. For some time now, he had been purposely avoiding her and Dita, since they had both been vying for his affections and he couldn't bring himself to return them to one girl without hurting the other. Besides, their adoration sometimes threatened to smother him. Since Dita had become a Tekkaman, Slade had to spend time in training her in controlling her powers, but this made Misty even more determined to win him.

As if on cue, someone else came into the Sick Bay namely...

Mr. Alien!

Slade suppressed the urge wince as the red-haired former Dread pilot came in with a hand-sewn blanket with a cute green alien depicted on the front. She proudly showed displayed her work, and smiled, not noticing that her rival was there.

Here Mr. Alien! I made this to go with the pillow I gave you! Since you'll be sleeping in my room, I thought I'd make things more comfortable and...

_WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S SLEEPING IN YOUR ROOM?!_

The cheerful Mejele girl looked to where she heard that annoying voice and glared at her rival. Their eyes locked together as they faced off.

Slade saw this as his window of opportunity and snuck out as the two went at it.

_WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!_

_MR. ALIEN IS GOING TO STAY IN MY ROOM! I ASKED THE CAPTAIN AND SHE SAID I COULD LET HIM SLEEP WITH ME!_

_OH NO HE'S NOT! I WAS GOING TO ASK HIM TO SLEEP IN MY ROOM!_

_TOO LATE, I'M ASKING HIM!_

_I AM!_

_I AM!_

_WELL, ASK HIM WHO HE WANTS TO STAY WITH!_

_FINE BE ME! MR. ALIEN?_

Both girls were surprised to see that Slade and his luggage was nowhere in sight. 

----------

The Tekkaman sighed as he leaned against the wall of the hallway that led toward the hanger bay. He was lucky that Dita hadn't gotten the hang of using her psychic connection to him to track him down. Ever since she, Jura and Meia had gained their powers, they had also formed a kind of empathic bond with him, which made it possible for them to home in on his position. As a result, hiding from them had become more difficult than usual. His usual tricks of concealment hadn't worked with the voluptuous Jura. One time, while he had been clinging to the ceiling, she had detected him and decided to pounce, instead of just chase him. He had forgotten at the time that she could sense him. She jumped ten feet straight up from a standing position, grabbed hold of his waist, and pulled him down with her new enhanced strength. Slade had ended up ripping out several beams and pipes, while trying to keep from being dragged down. Jura was now strong enough to bend nearly double, three-inch diameter, solid steel support rods. It had been quite a wrestling match on the floor, before Slade finally managed to get away. During their close contact,' he had noticed that her body hadn't gained much muscle-mass, despite its increased strength and durability. It was still as soft and pliable as ever, especially in certain areas...

Slade shuddered a bit at the memory, then wondered just what was he going to do at the moment. He didn't have a place to sleep until the men's quarters were drained and cleaned out. So where could he go?

Hi, Slade.

Slade was caught off guard when Meia suddenly appeared beside him. Either his senses had become dulled or she was somehow able to bypass them, which could be one of the effects of her new Tekkaman powers. In any case, he was a little surprised to see the former Dread Leader looking somewhat unsure of herself. She didn't appear to be very confident and he could see hesitation in her eyes.

Uh... hey there, Meia. What can I... do for you?

Meia began as she tried to form her words. I was kind of wondering if you've found a place to stay until the flooded sections are drained and cleaned.

No, I haven't really. I was thinking about bunking in the hanger...

Oh no! That's no good! The hanger isn't as climate-controlled as the residential areas and it can get really cold in there at night.

Slade shrugged. Ah, it doesn't really matter to me. It's not the first time I've had to tough it out.

No, you could catch a cold and... Meia's voice became softer and trailed off, as she uncharacteristically twiddled her index fingers in embarrassment. Why was she showing such tender concern for a man? Sure he was a good friend and comrade in arms, but to be interested in his personal health and well-being? She steeled herself and put on a serious expression, though it was hard for her to hold it. Well, we can't have you in less than fighting condition when the Harvesters attack and you need a place to rest, so I was thinking you can stay with m...

Oh Slaaaaaaaaade!

Both winced a bit when they heard the singsong voice of a certain Dread pilot-turned-Tekkaman. However, when they turned to face Jura, they were surprised at her appearance.

Instead of the dark brown gown with plunging neckline and slit skirt, she was instead dressed in a variation of Slade's usual attire. She was wearing a kind of short dress/jacket ensemble that was red with black trim, with long, white sleeves and black shoulder guards. On her forearms were thin, black bracers. She also had form-fitting white pants that hugged her legs, hips and derriere like a second skin. On her feet, instead of the high-heeled brown boots she usually sported, she instead had a pair of red leather boots. They looked like Slade's, but were more slender and had lower heels than her old boots, which made them more practical. Her long flowing hair was now bound up in a simple ponytail. On her hip was her usual sword hanging from a belt scabbard.

Jura made a pirouette, showing off her new outfit, then took a few steps toward Slade and Meia, keeping her gaze upon the cosmic warrior with a seductive aura. She stopped in front of him and asked, You like?

Was the only thing that Slade could say.

Meia however, had this to say. What is _THAT?_

Jura shrugged demurely as she replied. Oh, I was just thinking about what Slade told me during our last training session. You know, about how my clothes were not very practical, and how I should be wearing something more appropriate to battle? So, I had the Register make this up for me. It works for Slade, and I make it look even better, don't you agree?

Meia couldn't argue with the logic of the change, though she did suspect that Jura made the wardrobe change with an ulterior motive in mind. This definitely impressed Slade, judging by the way he was staring at her, and she began wondering why she hadn't thought of doing the same. The thing was, she had no excuse as her usual garb was both simple and practical. She became even more confused at this new emotion of jealousy. Then she became alarmed when Jura said...

Now then Slade. Since you don't have anywhere to stay and I've got SO much room in my quarters, why don't you...

Hold it! He can't stay with you!

What? And why not?

Because he's going to stay with m...! Meia stopped herself before finishing.

He's going to stay with who? Jura pressed as she and Meia began to glare at each other like Dita and Misty did.

Well... I mean, it's improper!

What do you mean?

Uh, excuse me? Slade said, but immediately realized that the two females were too busy arguing to notice. So he left again and let off another sigh.

_Man! I must be the only guy on this ship with these kinds of problems!_

----------

Not quite Slade...

Uh, excuse me? Duero said, but it was obvious that neither Parfet or Barnette were listening.

He's not going to stay in a place cluttered with parts and circuit boards!

Oh? And is sleeping in a place full of ammunition and guns any better?

Your quarters are too close to the engines! The noise will keep him awake!

And I suppose the smell of gunpowder and cleaning fluids won't?

Parfet... Barnette... please, I'm quite content to stay right here and...

_HE'S NOT STAYING WITH YOU!!!_ Both girls screamed at each other, totally ignoring the good doctor, who decided follow Slade's example and disappear. 

----------

The Navigation Well...

Bart sniffled in a sneeze as he floated in the well. 

Nuts, nobody's asked me to stay anywhere... 

----------

Earth...

So tell me Rapier, what is the status of the Spider-Crab legions? Darkon asked as he continued to wait for Lance and Saber to emerge from the Tekkapods.

The female Tekkaman nodded as she gave him the report. Nearly ninety percent of all the Harvester Cube Fighters have been converted and the Seed Ships are now steadily producing more Spider-Crabs with every passing hour. The few remaining unconverted units will complete their metamorphosis within days. The other ships and battle cruisers are being adapted as we speak. Soon, the glorious Radam Armada shall be reborn!

Excellent! Everything is going as planned! Now, I have a new mission for you.

Yes, my Master?

I would like to test our newly-reborn Spider-Crabs, so I want you and Lance to direct three separate divisions of them to the sector in which the Nirvana is currently in. I don't expect them to defeat Slade and the Mejele pirates, but I would like to see them in action and gauge the strength of the Nirvana's new Tekkamen. Oh yes, and Id like you also to send a few dozen to the Delta 6 Mission Station. According to the Harvesters' files, there is an incomplete Tekkaman that is guarding it. I would also like some data on him as well.

It shall be done, Lord Darkon. Rapier bowed to him before leaving his chambers. 

----------

I made this new recipe just for you, Commander. Ukyo the XVII said as she held up a plate of okonomiyaki. However, she had some competition as a certain Amazon descendant also came up to him and held out a plate of chow mien.

Hello Commander. I was just looking for you and... Then Xian Pu caught sight of Ukyo.

Slade rolled his eyes and mentally prayed. _Please, please... not another..._

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!_

_Damn!_

----------

This is all you're fault! Parfet growled as she and Barnette were out searching for Duero. They hadn't noticed that he had left, until they had asked for his opinion, and found out that he had left Paiway in charge of the Sick Bay.

My fault?! How do you figure that?! Barnette shot back.

You're the one who drove him away! I mean, who'd want to stay in the same room with a gun-crazy nut?!

Hey! At least I'm not some techno-geek! The doctor would be more comfortable with somebody he has more in common with!

What would a gun nut like you know?!

Hey, I spent two whole days with him on that planet! And I happen to know a few more things about him than you! That's a whole lot more than you've spent with him in eight months!

I guess you forgot about the time you started a mutiny and had him thrown in the brig!

That was five months ago! And besides, he forgave me and we're really good friends now. I still think he'd be better off sharing my quarters.

We'll see which place he wants to stay at when we find him!

Yes, we will and I'm sure Razor will choose my room!

_HAH!_ More than eight months and you don't even know Duero's nickname! Barnette gloated.

I would have _KNOWN IT_... eventually... Parfet insisted, though she was a bit embarrassed that Barnette knew something more intimate about the docotr than she did.

As the two girls continued to bicker, they did not know that their quarry was closer than they thought. Clinging closely to the ceiling's pipes and support beams, Duero McFile kept as still as possible until the engineer and Dread pilot passed by and turned around a corner. He silently thanked Slade for teaching him that trick of Cling-to-the-ceiling-and-hope-no-one-looks-up.' It was a silly name, but it did have its uses. 

Now he was wishing that Slade would teach him how to deal with females who are fighting each other, with him as the prize.

Unfortunately, Slade had no idea how to deal with that situation. 

----------

Meanwhile...

Ghaleon was getting a strange feeling as he led his squadron of scout ships on patrol around the sector. Ever since meeting Slade and the crew of the Nirvana, the inhabitants of Mission Delta Six had been guarding themselves against any future Harvester attacks. So far, there had been the occasional raid by Cube Fighters and perhaps one or two Seed Ships, but Tekkaman Phantom and the newly formed defense groups had been able to beat them back, thanks to some technology that had been lent to them by the female pirates. In addition to the tachyon communicators and Tarak food rations, the Mission had received several essential components and weaponry. Now they were able to better defend themselves from the Earth forces.

Recently however, the Harvester raids had been less frequent and the patrol groups would rarely come across a single Cube Fighter or any other kind of Earth vessel. It was if the Harvesters had suddenly become extinct.

Viperson had been getting worried about this lull in action from the enemy. It would be too easy to lower one's guard. As he piloted his one-man craft through space, he began to wonder if the Earth was planning something big. It wasn't like the Harvesters to be inactive for this long. Everyone knew how desperate they were for human organs and would stop at nothing to get them. So where were they?

Just then, his long-range scanners began picking up something on the edge of the sector's periphery. He signaled for his wingmen to follow as he headed toward them. He began readying his crystal, just in case...

When came close enough for his sensors to give him a visual on the object, his eyes widened in surprise.

The thing... looked like a Seed Ship, but it appeared to be more organic, and was much larger than normal. Its surface colored differently and looked as if it was coated in a jellylike substance. The exterior was translucent and if one could get close enough, one could see several large, dark amorphous masses. It was if one was looking at a group of developing embryos though a sonogram. Ghaleon's feeling of foreboding increased as his group came closer, then he ordered them to hold their distance from it. Something wrong, very wrong.

It was at that moment that the strange craft suddenly turned its face toward the group, as if it had just sensed their presence. The large slit on its front opened up and released the contents of the Seed Ship in putrid sprays of fluid and pus.

That was when the carnage began...

----------

The engineering section of the Nirvana...

Parfet entered her office in a huff. After searching futilely for the object of her affection, (and Barnette's), the engineer decided to work off some of her frustration with her latest projects.

After that last battle with the Harvesters, and the subsequent transformation of Jura, Dita and Meia into Tekkamen, the bespectacled girl had been thinking of new weapons for the three in order to augment their extraordinary abilities. Jura and Dita had requested Parfet to build them each a Tekkabot, just like Pegas. Though that would be the most logical solution, there were some problems. 

First of all, Pegas was a one of a kind machine and Parfet wasn't all that sure as to how it was created in the first place, when the Paksis imploded and created the Nirvana. She had found the altered Vanguard shortly after that event and had only modified it to suit Slade. There were just too many variables to consider in order to try and duplicate the process on three more Vanguards.

The second problem was of course, Meia's inherent claustrophobia. She didn't feel any of it in her transformed state, but she still disliked being inside a Van-Type. That would most certainly affect her performance. 

So the brown-haired girl had decided on an alternative measure. Since the girls had formally been Dread pilots, then they would be more comfortable in something that was related with Dreads. As a result, she had her salvage teams collect every remaining scrap of debris that had been their fighters. Most of their Paksis-enhanced Dreads had been remade into their new Tekkaman armored suits, but there were some mechanisms and components that had been left over from their unexpected metamorphosis. Surprisingly, the remnants had survived the destruction of the Harvester battle cruiser and Parfet supposed that it was due to the fact that they still retained certain properties of the Paksis. Currently, the parts that had been salvaged were being integrated into new hulls and leftover parts from the Dread maintenance bays and the Register. In a few days, the new weapons would be ready for testing. 

Parfet had also gotten an idea to build a new kind of weapons system for the Warrior Squadron. The Vanguards were good and highly versatile, but they still lacked the raw firepower and mobility that Slade and the other Tekkamen had. Tekkaman Saber had proven just how inferior they were against someone like him. The pirates needed something that could at least give the Vanguard pilots more of a chance of survival.

To that end, she had been working on a new kind of mecha, in which the prototype was being prepared in a separate hanger. The thing resembled a Vanguard, but was small, almost human-sized. It would be propelled by a new Zeetron reactor, which would also power a cannon that was mounted on its right shoulder. Zeetron was a very rare, but powerful energy crystal that the women of Mejele had discovered on their world when they colonized it. It had some similarities to the Paksis, and Parfet had theorized that it could be used to create a weapon system that was similar to Slade's armor.

Parfet still couldn't create a Tekkaman, so she was going to try for the next best thing, which was to give the pilot a suit of technological armor. 

----------

Slade sighed as he set up his temporary quarters in one of the old storage areas of the Nirvana. Since this had been formally the Ikazuchi, (which had once been a colony vessel), the area he was in was piled with artifacts from a century ago and was a bit dusty. He had to do a bit of cleaning before he could settle in. 

As he was about to lie down on the makeshift hammock he had constructed, the battle alert went off. 

The enemy had come... 

----------

_WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS?!_ A pilot screamed out as he and his comrades were being cut down by these huge alien monsters.

The defenders of Delta Six were totally unprepared when the mutated Seed Ship opened up and released odd-looking lumps like organic meteors. However, when they unfolded themselves into their true forms, the pilots immediately realized that this was no joke! 

These types of Spider-Crabs were winged and were surprisingly nimble for their ungainly size. Instead of energy blasts, they spewed globules of toxic goo from their mouths, which corroded and ate away at all kinds of metals, including the Mission's defensive fighters. Wave after wave of the hideous Radam enforcers blasted through the defensive ranks and headed toward the Mission Station. More Spider-Crabs were launched from the Seed Ship in their compressed forms and hurtled toward Delta Six.

However, many of them would not reach their target as Tekkaman Phantom darted about like a maddened dragonfly and picked them off. The armored warrior pushed himself to his limits to prevent the attackers from getting to the innocent people aboard the station. As he fought in a near-berserk rage, he felt a kind of chilling familiarity with these strange beings, which made the Harvesters look tame by comparison. They were brutal and absolutely merciless. Despite the heavy casualties being inflicted by Ghaleon, they continued to press the attack.

Phantom became more concerned as many got past him and started to attack the station. The Mission's defense systems opened up as a protective barrier appeared. Defensive turrets swiveled and elevated to begin tracking their targets. Laser blasts and cannon shots were fired at the Spider-Crabs as the people desperately tried to fend off this new and deadlier foe.

The monsters of the Radam shrugged off direct hits as if they were nothing. They began pounding against the forcefield, straining it to its limits. In less than thirty seconds, they breached through the barrier, making large gaps in it, which allowed more of their brethren through. The Spider-Crab missiles streaked though the holes and uncurled themselves. These Spider-Crabs were of the normal terrestrial variety and landed heavily on the hull of the station. Using their massive claws and mandibles, they began tearing into the reinforced bulkheads as if they were tinfoil. 

----------

Liz! We can't stop them! They're ripping us apart! Patch cried out as his computer displayed the tactical readouts of the station's defense systems. One by one, the defensive armaments were being destroyed and hull breaches were showing up on several levels. 

The leader of the station gasped as she witnessed her home being torn up and shredded like tissue paper! In a matter of minutes, the Spider-Crabs would break into the vital areas of the Mission, namely the main reactor core and the residential areas. Once that happened...

_What will it take to stop these things?!_

Her answer came in the form of Tekkaman Phantom as he swooped down and began cutting the Spider-Crabs to pieces. He slashed with his Tek Sword and tore though the ranks of the Radam monsters. He dispatched his enemies with deadly precision and speed, giving the stations defenders time to regroup and counterattack. However, there was a problem...

_Arrrrggghhhh! No! I must be nearing my time limit!_

Ghaleon felt his consciousness begin to slip away as the dark side of his Tekkaman powers started to emerge. He desperately tried to hold on, as he and the remaining defensive fighters pushed to herd their enemies into one area, so that he could finish them off before he lost control completely. 

He almost gave in to the dark desires of his Radam-given powers as he saw the Spider-Crabs begin to breach the main reactor room. But, when he was given the signal that the enemy was in position and everyone was clear, he began powering up his strongest weapon.

Sections of his shoulder epaulets slid away, revealing energy collectors. Parts of his leg armor also opened up. Energy crackled between the units and convalesced into one massive sphere of power. Then finally...

_PHANTOM... VOLTEKKER!_

The energy suddenly winked out from sight and it looked as if Ghaleon's attack had failed. However, a heartbeat later, the Spider-Crabs suddenly exploded like flies caught in a flamethrower's blast. It was if they were being blown away by a beam of power.... an invisible beam.

Apparently, Tekkaman Phantom's greatest weapon could also be hidden from sight. 

----------

Meanwhile...

Meia, Dita and Jura ran toward the nearest airlock to join up with Slade and Pegas. Since the new weapons that Parfet was designing were not ready yet, they would have to fight on their own, alongside the White Tekkaman and his robotic partner.

Slade nodded as he saw the three girls head toward him with their crystals in their hands.

All three nodded as they held their crystals aloft. Simultaneously they all cried out.

In two seconds, four streaks of colored light flashed out from the Nirvana and into the star-studded void. However, as the Tekkamen quartet joined the Vanguard and Dread squadrons, they would soon find themselves in more trouble than the Harvesters ever gave them.

That was when they came across... them. 

----------

Mission Delta 6...

Ghaleon was breathing hard and was quite shaken as he had just barely managed to transform back to his human form. He had cut it close, too close. Another five seconds, and he would have succumbed to the violent and destructive urges of his Radam-derived abilities. Taking several calming breaths, he departed the station's airlock and headed toward the control center. 

However, all was not well as he entered, despite the fact that the attack had been beaten back. The consoles were lit with various damage and casualty reports. Sirens were blaring all over the place and the crews manning their equipment were in a state of near-panic. 

The Spider-Crabs had been destroyed, but they had already fatally crippled the station. Internal fires were burning all over. System-wide malfunctions ran all over. Most importantly, the main reactor core had been breached and a massive implosion was imminent. All they could do was slow the chain-reaction for as long as they could. Liz and Patch were desperately directing the civilians to the escape shuttles, which had been built for just such an emergency. Mission Delta Six was dying.

Ghaleon quickly began aiding the people in evacuating the station. They only had a few minutes before their home was destroyed forever. People crowded into their only means of escape, taking their most cherished possessions and supplies. Fortunately, the entire cargo of nutrient pills they had received from the Nirvana was loaded on board, as well was whatever food and medicine. As the last of the inhabitants boarded the shuttles, the entire Mission shook as the reactor core approached final meltdown. The insides became racked with heat and explosions as the station went into its death throes. Sections were blown from the main body and bulkheads crumbled under intense pressure. As the last of the escape shuttles broke away and headed out into space, Mission Delta Six finally died.

The Mission rumbled and its surface became twisted as internal explosions tore its interior apart. Then in one massive explosion of light, the station disappeared from sight. The energy shockwaves its demise caused rocked, the escaping ships as they made their way into the star-studded void.

And so the Radam invasion of the cosmos had begun. 

----------

_WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?!_ Jura cried out as she just barely evaded a swarm of Spider-Crabs. She had been expecting, along with the rest of the Nirvana crew, to be going up against Cube Fighters and other Earth vessels. 

However, as soon as the mutated Seed Ships opened up and released their forces, the rules had completely changed.

The Spider-Crabs were tough, extremely tough. The amount of firepower needed to destroy Earth ships proved to be less than sufficient in penetrating their thick armored shells. In many cases, laser blasts were reflected away and missile hits and cannon shots were simply shrugged off. The monsters were also surprisingly agile, despite their size. But most of all, they were tenacious, far more so than their Harvester predecessors. The Dreads and the Vanguard pilots soon realized that their new opponents were not going to be as simple to defeat as the automated machines of the Harvesters. Though the monsters did have about the same intelligence as those pre-programmed robots, they did not have the directive to harvest human body parts. Their only directive was to destroy!

Barnette gritted her teeth as she received word that the Vanguard and Dread squadrons were taking more casualties. Since Meia and Jura no longer flew Dreads, the responsibility of leading the fighters had be regulated to her. This new enemy acted nothing like the Cube Fighters, so the old tactics for dealing with them were useless. They began swarming toward the Nirvana, and even with Bart's guns blasting away, the Spider-Crabs continued their assault on the pirate vessel. Many crashed headlong into the ship's protective barrier, straining the defenses to their limits. Several managed to penetrate through the shields and began ripping into the hull. They would have torn into the ship and destroyed it as they had Delta Six, if it weren't for four armored figures. 

----------

Slade and three female Tekkamen, immediately came down on the Nirvana's hull as soon as they saw the Spider-Crabs begin breaking into it. Using their newly-given abilities and Slade's training, Meia, Jura and Dita did their best to try and exterminate this infestation before they overran the crew within. He had ordered Pegas to support the Dreads, while he, Diamond, Sapphire and Ruby defended the Nirvana.

Slade landed in the midst of a group of Radam monsters and started slashing and thrusting with his weapon. Like Tekkaman Phantom, he too had felt a kind of familiarity with these horrors, but pushed such thoughts away as he concentrated on eliminating them before they caused irreparable damage to the Nirvana. Soon the hull of the ship became littered with broken shells, dismembered claws and the innards and body fluids of the beasts. It was a gory sight, but it had to be done if they were to survive. Many Spider-Crabs exploded like fluid-filled balloons when hit, splattering the metal skin of the pirate vessel with their insides. Those who were watching from within the ship, found very hard to keep from losing their lunch at the gruesome display.

One crewmember in particular, decided that something had to be done and began racing toward a hanger where a certain project was being developed. 

----------

Ewwwwww! Gross! Dita cried out as her energy arrows pierced through the body of a Spider-Crab, causing streams of fluid and organs to come spewing out. Some of it landed on the front of her armor, making her shiver in disgust.

Just keep fighting! Meia ordered as she ducked under the claws of another Spider-Crab, then drove her spear into its softer underbelly. With supreme effort, she hefted the massive creature above her and slung it toward two more that were charging toward her position. Her organic projectile crashed into its brethren, and that's when Tekkaman Diamond launched a volley of her armor-piercing energy darts. The tiny slivers pierced the heads of her targets, destroying their primitive brains and causing their craniums to explode. Though she was more battle-hardened than Sapphire, she too was becoming a bit nauseous over the sight of so much gore. However, it was the only way to defeat such a relentless enemy.

Streaking above them, Tekkaman Ruby was using hit-and-run tactics at the Spider-Crabs. She kept streaking in and out of the enemy ranks, delivering quick slashes with her sword. Though the monsters reminded her of her old Tekkadread, they were just too gross for her to want to get close to any of them. She hoped that this battle would be over soon, as she began to feel the effects of exhaustion. She was going to need a seven-course dinner once this was done.

Slade noted that the performance of his comrades was beginning to decline as the battle continued. He knew that they were still new to using their Tekkaman abilities for any extended periods of time, and were rapidly depleting their stores of energy. They had to finish off this conflict quickly. However, he was at a loss of how to do so. He was used to fighting machines that were pre-programmed with specific patterns. The Spider-Crabs were erratic and unpredictable and their numbers seemed to be endless.

It was at that moment that he and the other Tekkamen realized that they were being surrounded by the Spider-Crabs. The monsters began concentrating on eliminating their greatest opponents and attacked them en masse. Jura was shot down as a trio of Spider-Crabs managed to blindside her. She landed hard on the hull of the Nirvana near Slade as Dita and Meia were forced back. Soon, they were all herded together as the Radam creations continued their assault. It seemed that the four would be crushed by sheer numbers. Slade was preparing to go to his Blastor Mode, but he was already feeling tired and wasn't certain if he would be able to transform. His armor began to take more hits as he and the three former Dread pilots prepared to make their last stand.

Then, just as the Spider-Crabs were about to unleash their full fury on them, a miracle appeared.

_EVERYBODY DUCK!_

Hearing the voice, the four Tekkamen took cover as a sudden blast of emerald energy appeared and took out several of the beasts, causing them to disintegrate and giving them more breathing room. Then they saw their unexpected savior as she jetted across the hull of the pirate ship. 

----------

_HERE WE GO!_ Parfet cried out as she piloted the new prototype Tekkasuit she had been working on. She hadn't had time to properly test her new invention, but decided to give it a trial by fire. She was pleased to see that the new Zeetron reactor and quantum-energy cannon were working properly, but she had to choose her shots carefully, since she only had a limited amount of ammunition. 

The armor was bulkier than Slade's, but gave her good mobility and protection against the Radam creatures. The shoulder-mounted cannon fired off quantum-energy shells, which proved to be sufficient in piercing the monsters' heavily armored carapaces. She also had a smaller sidearm, which used for more pinpoint shots.

Parfet was usually not one to enjoy being in the heat of battle, but she did find it to be quite exhilarating. She continued to zigzag around the Spider-Crabs, blowing them left and right as the Tekkamen began their counterattack. The Nirvana was quickly being relieved of its giant pest problems. Dozens of Spider-Crabs fell to the awesome firepower of Parfet's new armor as her allies started to gain the upper hand.

However, as they began to push their enemies back, Parfet's console lit up with some warning lights. Her ammunition was getting low and the reactor was starting to overheat. She mentally chided herself for not installing any backup power sources. Then her mechanisms started to malfunction, causing the armor to swerve erratically. When a couple of Spider-Crabs charged at her, Parfet tried to evade them by veering off to the right, but one of her maneuvering thrusters misfired, causing her to tumble end over end. The armor landed hard on its back and skidded for several meters before coming to a halt.

Parfet groaned and realized that in her haste to help the others, she had neglected to don the special impact-absorbent flightsuit that all Vanguard pilots now wore. As a result, she now had a very sore body and a few scrapes. As she shook her head to clear it, a Spider-Crab suddenly loomed above her and raised one of its clawed legs.

She quickly brought up her cannon and pulled the trigger, but...

_**CLICK! CLICK!**_

_Oh no! I'm out of ammo!_ Parfet realized that without a loaded weapon, her armor was nothing more than a fancy metal spacesuit. She made a mental note to include some melee weapons and more ammunition, provided she survived!

Fortunately, she would live to make those improvements as Tekkaman Diamond came in from above and drove her spear into the monster's neck. Parfet grimaced as the Spider-Crab's fluids splashed onto her armor's torso and helmet, but it was better than the alternative. The monster let off a groan and toppled off to one side. Meia leapt off its back and went to help her fallen comrade. 

----------

Thanks to Parfet's last-minute rescue, Slade, Ruby and Sapphire were able to force the remaining Spider-Crabs off the Nirvana and herd them toward the others that were engaged with the Dreads and Vanguards. As soon as they were in position, they signaled for their allies to break off. In that moment, Slade's shoulder units flipped up. Jura and Dita followed suit and began powering up. Then they unleashed their final assault...

_VOLTEKKER... SCATTER!_

_VOLTEKKER... BLASTER!_

The three separate blasts combined into one massive beam, which vaporized the last of the Spider-Crabs and their Seed Ships. The crew of the Nirvana all breathed collective sighs of relief as their enemies were obliterated.

It was over... for now. 

----------

The Sickbay...

Ow! Ow! Parfet winced as her arm was being treated for a sprain.

Forgive me, Parfet. Duero said as he added some soothing lotion and made certain that she had no broken bones. His gentle touch made the engineer calm down and feel a warmth as he continued to treat her injuries.

That's okay. Parfet said as she blushed a bit at the contact of his hands on her arm. He was so caring and considerate. I guess it was my fault for not wearing a suit.

Yes, well I certainly hope that you would refrain from such reckless actions in the future. Duero advised firmly, then his expression became a bit softer. Although, I was most impressed by the bravery you showed today.

You were? She said as her eyes lit up with hope.

Yes. Slade and the others would also like to thank you for your help today. They quite certain that if it weren't for you, we'd all be finished by now.

Aw, it was nothing. Parfet waved off, though she hoped that her actions had scored her some points with the Tarak physician. There was still the matter of the doctor not having a place to stay.

Standing near the door to the Sickbay, Barnette growled a bit as she watched the doctor continue to treat her biggest rival. She had to admit that the bespectacled girl had indeed done well and that Barnette would have to try harder in the future in order to remain serious competition. 

----------

Earth...

Darkon grumbled as he had received the transmissions concerning the outcomes of the battles between his forces, and the those of Mission Delta Six and the Nirvana. Though the Mission had been destroyed, the inhabitants had escaped and were still considered a threat, though not as great as the one posed by the pirates and their four Tekkamen. He had hoped that his Spider-Crabs would have inflicted some heavy losses on the Nivana, but the females now seemed to have a new weapon. If that was the case, then the Radam would have to revise their plans and take out that accursed Slade and his comrades. But what to use?

As if answering the Radam Warlord's unspoken question, the Red Paksis began humming and showed images of past battle records of the Harvesters. Darkon snorted as he saw those failures, the Tekkadread Clones.

What good are these? They have already proven to be worthless against Slade and the Nirvana. Why would I want to bother with making more of these Harvester failures?

The red Paksis hummed even more insistently as it telepathically began making suggestions. A minute later, the Radam Warlord chuckled evilly as he understood the Paksis' plan.

Ah, so that's your plan, is it? I must admit, that it does raise... possibilities. Very well. We shall proceed with this plan. And it's a good thing that we have the _PERFECT_ Tekkaman for the job.

At that moment, a crimson-armored figure entered Darkon's private chambers and knelt down in front of his lord.

Hello Saber. Have you completely recovered from your last encounter with the accursed Slade?

Yes, Lord Darkon. The scarlet Tekkaman replied. How may I serve you?

I have a little job for you...

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, that's it for part 1. Stay tuned for part 2 as a couple of the Nirvana crewmembers will play a major part in the upcoming story arc and... aw, that would be telling! 


	16. Chapter 7, Part 2: Preparations and Plan...

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Tekkaman Blade, Ranma 1/2 and Vandread all belong to someone else, so I think you can dope out the rest.

: Thoughts

**Chapter 7**

Part 2

Preparations and Plans

_Ewwww! Gross!_

Paiway grimaced as she was instructed by Duero to seal up a deep wound. Her hands trembled as she held the tissue-fusion applicator near the bloody, oozing...

Suddenly, the pulse monitor started emitting various warning sounds, causing the apprentice nurse to lose her concentration. The young girl started to panic as the pulse meter showed an erratic heart rate, and the patient began to twitch and spasm on the operating table. Paiway's body locked up and her heart stopped for a moment as she found herself at a total loss of what to do. Then her confidence plummeted as the pulse meter showed a flatline. A few moments later, the instrument declared the patient as clinically deceased. Cause of death, a cerebral hemorrhage from a ruptured cranial vessel; an event that could have been prevented if Paiway had sealed the damaged artery in time. 

The twelve-year-old bowed her head in shame and helplessness as the simulation ended. Behind her, Duero sighed and shook his head as he marked down Paiway's performance on a clipboard. The final grade was of course... a complete failure. 

----------

That test wasn't fair! Paiway complained as she and the good doctor reviewed her latest performance at surgical techniques. I was just about to seal it up, but...

Duero gave the girl a stern expression while pointing his index finger at her. First rule of surgery, Paiway. You have to be ready, because _ANYTHING_ can happen, which can make even the most routine procedures more complicated. You followed the correct steps in your attempt to seal up that artery, but you neglected to monitor the patient's vital signs and adjust for any discrepancies. Furthermore, in a process as vital as this, speed is of the essence. You hesitated too long and once the patient began going into anaphylactic shock, you did _NOTHING_ to stabilize his condition.

But it all happened so suddenly and...

And you must expect things like that to happen, especially in a combat situation! Remember Paiway, the patients are counting on _YOU_ to pull them through! Sending them to the jacuzzi' is no longer an option!

Paiway gave the Tarak man a pout as she looked back at the instruments and devices. I don't even know why I'm doing this! We've got all this equipment and stuff and you have me cutting people open and...

And nothing! Duero stated firmly. You should consider yourself fortunate that you have all of this Mejele technology to aid you. However, all of this technology doesn't mean a thing if you do not know the principals of being a physician, and know how those principals are applied. And you will find yourself in situations in which all you have is what's in here. He tapped her forehead with an index finger. Back on Tarak, all medical trainees go through a final exam, in which they have to save a critically injured patient with minimal technology. I had to perform an emergency transfusion _AND_ an appendectomy with some plastic tubing and a pocket knife!

Paiway winced again as she imagined Duero performing such crude operations.

The head doctor of the Nirvana sighed again as he looked over the results for the last week. So far, Paiway's overall medical skills were more likely to kill the crew before this new enemy did.

Duero wondered just what kind of medical treatment women received on Mejele. Surely they must know all the basics of health care, right? Or did they rely completely on their technology to keep them in good health? If Paiway's medical knowledge was any indication, then heaven help them if their medical machines should fail them. He was beginning to understand why Magno and her crew had abandoned their way of life on their home planet and became pirates. And he could also understand why the pirates had accepted his expertise. 

On Tarak, the men were expected to make do with what they had, and their world was totally unforgiving. They had to adapt and be more creative. If a device wasn't there, then they would improvise. Rudimentary skills and knowledge were maintained and remembering the basics was a must.

So why didn't a medical trainee like Paiway know the normal ranges of vital signs? 

----------

So I trust the training is going well? Magno asked as she and the good doctor were conversing in the Conference Chamber.

Well, the emergency first aid sessions are showing some promising results. Duero said as he took a sip of coffee. The Vanguard and Dread pilots are grasping the basics of CPR, setting broken limbs and dressing wounds. However...

However.... Paiway? The elderly woman guessed.

The male doctor sighed as he nodded. I'm afraid that Paiway's knowledge and skills are somewhat... lacking.

Please, tell me the truth. Magno pressed.

Are you certain you want to know?

We're talking about the well-being of my crew, Doctor.

Very well then. I'm fear that Paiway's lack of confidence, knowledge and experience will have detrimental effects on the crew in the near future, especially with this new enemy that we're now facing. 

Duero shuddered at the thought of the near-constant attacks that the Nirvana had been receiving in the last week. Casualties had been increasing as of late, and Duero had been hard-pressed to keep up with the growing number of patients. As a result, he had been requesting that more medically-trained individuals be present to deal with the situation. To that end, he had been teaching the combat pilots in emergency first aid and especially Paiway. There had to be another surgeon and general physician on the ship, if something were to happen to him. He was not going to repeat the mistake as the pirates had done with Meia, and not train a back-up. Since Paiway was the only other crewmember with any considerable medical training, it would have to fall on her to treat the rest.

You're asking an awful lot of her. Magno pointed out. She is still a child.

I am aware of that. Duero affirmed. However, we must keep in mind that I will _NOT_ be on the Nirvana forever, and should I be unable to perform my duties, then at least the crew will have someone to fall back on. I am well aware of the... unpleasant aspects of my position, but if she is to treat the patients effectively, then she will have to endure them all. I may seem strict, harsh or even cruel in my teachings, but it's only because I want her to realize that this isn't a game. So far, she hasnt even passed the basic surgeons tests. All new Tarak trainees must complete it, before advancing to the general Medical Corps.

You take your duties quite seriously, Doctor.

As a doctor, my patients are _ALWAYS_ first priority. The last thing a patient needs is a doctor who thinks that a soak in the Jacuzzi will cure all of her problems. 

----------

Paiway growled slightly as she stared at the monitor. She couldn't believe that she had to memorize all of these terms and facts in two days. What was the point, especially when she could use the medical computer to look them all up? The doctors on Mejele did it all the time. Why was that... that _MAN_, telling her to learn all of this stuff? What was technology good for if one doesn't use it?

When she was younger, she had dreamed of becoming a kind of super-genius doctor and of the glamour and prestige that went with such a position. When she had been elected the pirates' chief medical officer, she had been so happy of finally attaining her dream. The others rarely complained about her performance. Then again, it wasn't as if they had much of a choice.

Then he came along... Duero McFile.

In no time, he had taken over her position as the Nirvana's head physician and surgeon, and she had been regulated as his aide and nurse. The sudden demotion had made her a bit resentful, but there was no denying his skills. The crew all agreed that Duero's ability to treat their injuries and sicknesses was by far superior. Soon, they had begun to rely on him to keep them in good health.

As time went on, Paiway had decided that she could just leave the doctoring business to him. She was especially grateful of his presence, once she had been exposed to the less pleasant aspects of being a physician. However, that left her with no direction nor purpose in life. And now, Duero seemed bound and determined to make her into some kind of crude... witch-doctor. Taking vital signs with a stethoscope and thermometer? Counting heartbeats and breaths manually? Using two wooden slats and tape to set broken limbs? It was practically Stone Age, compared to the technological wonders that Mejele medical science had produced in the last hundred years.

Paiway shook her head again as she went back to reading the list. 

----------

Earth...

Do you understand the plan, Saber? You are _NOT_ to destroy the Nirvana, nor continue your vendetta against Slade. Darkon said as he gave his Tekkaman his final instructions.

Saber nodded as he stood before his master in his human form. He was still somewhat... perturbed that Darkon had destroyed the Earth Council. He had wanted that pleasure of wiping out those pompous fools for all they had put him through.

Darkon said slowly as he sensed the irritation in his minion.

Darkon's servant nodded as he banished thoughts of anger against his lord. He knew that he couldn't stand up against a Radam Warlord, and he was bound to Darkon until death. Unknown to most, it was Darkon, not the Earth Council, who had orchestrated the creation of the four Tekkaman of Earth. From within the Paksis, he had secretly implanted certain control devices,' which would have overridden the Control Chips of the Harvesters. Of course, that point was now moot.

Remember Saber. I need the crew of the Nirvana to be alive... for now. He extended a hand toward Saber and a tendril emerged from his open palm. It reached out toward the Tekkaman, and as Saber held out his hand, the slimy limb dropped a small object into his palm. The red Tekkaman looked down at it and nodded.

Will that be all, Master?

For now. Take Lance, Axe and Rapier with you, as well as a few Spider-Crabs. They should provide you with enough of a diversion. Once you have implanted this device into the Nirvana, return to base immediately.

Saber didn't like the idea of being a delivery boy, but he knew of the penalty of disobeying Darkon's orders. He had wanted to ask his master about Slade's evolution to Tekkaman Blastor, but Darkon would always change the subject and would not speak of it. For now, it would have to remain an unanswered question. 

----------

So, Darkon had given us his orders? Rapier asked as she and her other cohorts stood in their human forms.

Rapier was a slender woman with long, dark hair and green eyes. Her face was oval-shaped and her figure was quite pleasing to the eyes. However, her eyes displayed a kind of cold cruelty that would make anyone shudder with fear. She wore a simplistic blouse and skirt ensemble, with low-heeled pumps.

Axe was a shorter, but heavily muscled brute, and had short, brown hair. His face was beefy and his face seemed to be wearing a permanent sneer. His clothes consisted of a green body suit with brown boots. He was just as cold as Rapier, but preferred to dispatch his foes with brute force, rather than finesse.

Lance was slimmer than his cohort and had light, lavender hair, pulled back in a utilitarian ponytail. He would be considered handsome, but one could tell he had a very nasty streak in his personality. He was cocky and vain, though he now nursed a bit of uneasiness in his abilities, after his defeat at the hands of Tekkaman Blastor. He was the classic bully. He wouldn't hesitate to gloat and pick on the weak, but he would turn tail and flee whenever his opponent gained the upper hand. If it weren't for his cruel streak and lethal style, Darkon would have considered him as useless.

Saber growled a bit as he nodded to Rapier's question. He hated the others and held only contempt for them. Personally, he would much rather spend his time in defeating Slade, but he had no choice in the matter. He promised to himself that he would eventually find out Slade's secret to evolving. If Darkon refused to tell him, then he would just have to discover it for himself. For now, he would just have to go along with this plan.

At the very least, he could cause his greatest foe some considerable pain. 

----------

The Nirvana...

I'm waiting, Paiway. Deuro said as he gestured to the monitor, which depicted a close-up image of damaged tissue.

Okay... I know this one! The young girl assured as she gazed upon the image. She snapped her fingers as she replied. I got it! That's a second degree burn of cardiac muscle!

What?! What do you mean?!

First of all, this is most _DEFINITELY_ not part of the heart. Duero zoomed out the image, which depicted...

The young girl blushed furiously as she saw what it was. Ewww! That's a man's...

Duero said simply, then gave her a stern expression. What? Did you think that you were going to treat just women aboard this ship? What are you going to do if Slade, myself or Bart get injured? Do you think you won't encounter other male patients in the future? A doctor must know _BOTH_ sides of the gender line. I had to learn from scratch about female anatomy when I signed on as this ship's physician. Male or female, it doesn't matter! They're all patients to a doctor.

Paiway was still a bit unnerved at the sight of a man's (censored), that she just barely managed not to lose her lunch. She became relieved when Duero changed the image.

Just then, the battle alert went off. 

----------

In less than a heartbeat, four human comets streaked out from the Nirvana, followed closely by the Dread and Vanguard squadrons. Everyone braced for the latest Radam assault as dozens of Spider-Crabs advanced toward the pirate vessel and its defenders.

As the beasts began engaging, a certain quartet watched the battle closely from within a mutated Seed Ship. 

----------

Hmmm, so far they're following their usual attack patterns. Rapier observed as she gestured to the ship's main monitor.

Yes, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to place the device. Axe agreed.

Saber merely growled as he still did not like the idea of being reduced to that of a delivery drone. If it were that simple, then he could have just let those mindless Spider-Crabs do the job. 

At that moment, Lance pointed out something new on the monitor. Hello, what do we have here? 

----------

The Spider-Crabs were given quite a surprise when some of the Vanguards suddenly opened up and released smaller versions of themselves. The few Tekkasuits that Parfet had managed to get operational, now showed their worth as they began working in concert with their larger counterparts.

Xian Pu put her new Tekkasuit through a few evasion maneuvers, easily slipping through the ranks of the Spider-Crabs. She began blasting away with her shoulder-cannon, while her remote-controlled Vanguard laid down covering fire. She felt a kind of exhilaration as she moved about like Slade and the other Tekkamen. Her new armor had enough firepower to bring down a small cruiser and with this added mobility, she felt as if she could take on the universe!

Fighting nearby, her cohort, Ukyo the XVII, was also finding her new Tekkasuit to be quite a wonder weapon. She had been envious of Dita, Jura and Meia's ability to be come Tekkamen, but now this was something which allowed her to experience what it was like to fly freely through space and possess considerable power. As she streaked down toward another group of Spider-Crabs, she disengaged her cannon and reached behind for the special melee weapon she had Parfet devise for her. She whipped out a technological version of her family's Battle Spatula and activated it. The flat edge of the weapon glowed with zeetron energy as she slashed through the armored shells of her opponents. 

----------

Hmmm, it seems they've come up with some would-be Tekkamen. Saber remarked as he watched their forces being decimated by Slade and his allies.

Hmpf! As if those tin cans could even _COMPARE_ to true Tekkamen. Rapier scoffed as she held out her Tekkacrystal. Why don't we show them just what Tekkamen can _REALLY_ do? 

----------

Slade shouted out as four new players came onto the scene. Currently, he was without Pegas as the Tekkabot was undergoing a few modifications.

Ruby, Diamond and Sapphire were caught off-guard as Axe, Lance and Rapier came upon them for a long-awaited rematch. As Slade started toward them to assist, he was suddenly blindsided by an old enemy's lance, which struck him hard in the back. When he turned about, his eyes widened, then narrowed.

He growled. I had a feeling that you were still alive!

Oh yes. Saber replied with a sneer as he also readied for the imminent conflict, despite his orders not to engage his arch-enemy. Alive... and killing!

With those words, the two charged at each other. Their lances clashed together as they continued to stare each other down.

You didn't think something as trivial as planetary Armageddon would be enough to destroy me, did you? Saber taunted.

Slade growled as he pushed back and then jetted backward to get in a better position, before going at it again. As he engaged his opponent, he started to get a strange feeling that something was... different about Saber this time around. 

----------

Meia gritted her teeth from behind her helmet as she found herself up against Axe again. Though her battle skills as a Tekkaman had improved since the last encounter, she was still at a disadvantage in overall brute power against the Radam berserker. She tried a zigzag flight pattern while firing off a barrage of her energy darts. However, Axe easily defended by spinning his weapon about like a baton, deflecting the projectiles with the flat of his blade.

Not this time! Axe sneered as he countered with a savage slash, which let loose with a sizzling arc of energy. 

Meia winced as she barely managed to avoid the blast, which nicked her left flank. Then, before she could retaliate, Axe was suddenly in front of her and delivered a fist directly into her gut. Her armor wasn't enough to protect her fully from the impact and she felt as if her stomach was being pounded into her spine.

Axe smiled as he swung his weapon about, smacking Diamond around with the blunt end. He wasn't going to kill her outright. That would be too quick. He wanted to soften her up a bit, before separating her head from her shoulders. It would make a nice trophy to present to Lord Darkon. 

----------

Not you again! Jura snarled as she faced off against Rapier with blade drawn.

Rapier was especially eager to mix it up with this blonde would-be Tekkaman floozy! She had been shamed by this novice and wanted to pay her back for all the humiliation a hundred fold!

It's time we separated the Tekkamen from the wannabes! 

----------

Dita cried out as she jetted across space with Lance hot on her tail. She had tried to use her energy bow against him, but he simply deflected her arrows with his own weapon. He also fired back at her with his shoulder cannons, giving her even more to worry about. She had to lead him away from her comrades, as he was firing without any regard of whom or what was nearby. He had already obliterated several Spider-Crabs that had gotten in his way and Sapphire was certain that he would destroy without any remorse, any Dreads or Vanguards to get at her.

For Lance, he was enjoying the chase immensely. He could tell that Dita was the least experienced of the new Tekkamen. He could almost _SMELL_ her fear. It was only a matter of time before he caught up with his prey. Then the fun would begin! 

----------

Slade was thrown back hard and crashed against a group of Spider-Crabs. The monsters were pulverized in the impact, but they did serve to stop his momentum. The White Tekkaman shook his head and looked down at his chest, which now sported a wicked gash in the armor. He looked back up and just managed to avoid being skewered as Saber dove down with his weapon extended.

He brought up his own lance and managed to turn away Saber's but the Crimson Tekkaman, turned around and sent a hard kick to Slade's left temple. Slade was unable to block in time and was sent sprawling. 

----------

The Nirvana...

What does it take to destroy Saber? BC said in disbelief. Like many of the crew she had believed that he had perished on that desert world. To see him again unnerved even the normally cool first mate.

Commander! Something's wrong! Amarone said as she looked at her console's readout.

What is it? BC asked as she walked over to her position.

I've been monitoring the battle between Slade and Saber, and it looks like Saber is emitting more bio-energy than previously recorded.

What do you mean?

Saber's overall output has increased by more than thirty-seven percent. Slade is getting pounded!

Magno nodded as her expression became more serious. It seems that Saber has been spending some time in the gym since we last encountered him, and it's now paying off. She turned toward the Navigation Well. Bart, can you give our forces some support?

Negative, Captain. The bald navigator replied sadly. The enemy is too close to our own forces. I can't get any clear shots. Besides, it's taking all I've got to keep the shields up and stop those monsters from ripping up the hull again!

Why doesn't Slade transform? Celtic asked.

Magno shook her head. I'm afraid that he's too occupied with Saber and he can't risk using that Mega-Voltekker with our Dreads and Vanguards engaging those things. 

----------

Slade groaned as he picked himself up after crashing into another group of Spider-Crabs. He once again faced off against Saber, and though he couldn't see his expression, the former Saotome could tell that his foe was enjoying every minute of this fight. 

_Since when could Saber hit **THAT** hard?_

That last haymaker had a lot more kick than I remembered. Let me guess, Saber. You've been working out, haven't you?

Saber chuckled evilly as he twirled his lance. Not quite. I was in terrible shape when we last saw each other, but a stint in the Regeneration Pods can do wonders for a Tekkaman.

Regeneration Pods?

Saber chuckled even louder. Oh yes, that's right. You don't know about my new boss.

Boss? You mean, the Harvesters...?

Oh I _DON'T_ mean those organ-hungry weaklings! They are no longer your concern or anyone else's. Did you really think _THEY_ could create the Spider-Crab hordes of the Radam?

Spider-Crabs? Radam? Slade felt a chill going down his spine as he remembered back to when he had spoken to Ghaleon Viperson. Tekkaman Phantom had told him of the ancient race of war-mongering aliens that had created the Tekkaman Power Process. You mean...?

Oh yes! The Radam shall rise again! And Lord Darkon shall destroy all who stand in his way!

Yes, and I hope you will remember that name... and mine, once I send you to oblivion!

With those words, Saber started slashing away at his target with a ferocity and speed that Slade found hard to counter. His foe had definitely gotten much faster and stronger than before. He wanted to transform into his evolved form, but Saber wasn't giving him any time to attempt it. And there was his allies to consider as well. With so many Dreads, Vanguards, Tekkasuits fighting nearby, he couldn't consider using his enhanced powers. At the moment, he would have to hold out as he was.

For Saber, he was enjoying himself. Right now, he had the edge, since he didn't have to worry about hitting any friendly forces.' The Spider-Crabs were nothing more than cannon fodder and were considered expendable. As for his fellow Tekkamen, well they were just associates and would be disregarded once their usefulness was over with. Slade was feeling the pain that he suffered ever since they met and Saber was going to savor every moment. His enemy was taking hits and feeling agony with every impact.

However, when he received a mental signal in the back of his head, he knew that he would have to cut his playtime' short. He growled slightly as he heard Darkon's voice in his head.

_Saber! **WHAT** are you doing? Have you forgotten your mission?_

_No Master! I have not! However, I am close to defeating Slade once and for all!_

Currently, he had Slade in a chokehold with his lance pressing up against Slade's neck. With Saber applying pressure from behind, things began to look bleak.

_You **WILL** complete the mission I have given to you! Slade shall be destroyed, but **ONLY** at **MY** discretion! Or shall I remind you just **WHO** is your **MASTER?**_

With those words, Saber began feeling a sharp pain emanating from the base of his neck and into his brain. This caused him to loosen his grip on his lance. 

At the instant he felt the pressure ease on his throat, Slade slammed his elbows into Saber's abdomen, knocking him back. Swinging about with his lance, Slade smacked Saber away like a baseball batter.

The Red Tekkaman went flying and slammed hard against the hull of a Dread Fighter as it streaked by. Saber picked himself up and looked on the surface of where he had landed and smiled as he saw who was in the cockpit. 

----------

Barnette fought the urge to scream as Saber loomed above her, his eyes glowing red. She began having flashbacks of that time when she had last seen the armored warrior and how close she had come to being killed. She saw images of firing her weapons at him with no effect, and how he had sent her crashing down in her Vanguard. Since then, she would occasionally have nightmares about those events. And now, it seemed that Saber was going to finish the job he had started as he prepared to drive his lance into his victim.

Barnette's survival instincts took over as she made her Dread do a sudden rollover. This caused Saber to be knocked off-balance as his lance came down. The point smashed through the canopy, but missed its intended target, Barnette's heart. The tip ripped into her console's systems. The pilot winced as the blade grazed her right arm, but she had no time to consider the injury as her ship's emergency systems kicked in. With the sudden decompression, the Dread's computer activated protective shielding panels to stabilize the cockpit atmosphere and cushion the pilot. However, as Saber's lance had also damaged the fighter's navigational systems, the Dread began flying erratically.

Saber blasted away from his perch on Barnette's Dread, ripping up the hull with a parting slash. He smiled as he watched the Dread careen toward the Nirvana.

Inside her fighter, Barnette desperately tried to regain control of her ship, but knew that it was a losing battle. With the Nirvana filling up her main monitor, she had only one choice. Reaching out with her left hand, she grabbed hold of the ejection lever and pulled. Parts of the hull around the cockpit disengaged and flew off. The ejection module, containing the cockpit and several small maneuvering thrusters, basted free and away from the doomed ship. It immediately fired its thrusters to further distance itself from the rest of the hull. 

Barnette could only watch as her Dread impacted hard against the Nirvana's shields and disappear in an expanding cloud of gases and debris. She then looked down at her injured right arm and shuddered at the thought of how close she come to dying. She then smiled a bit as she knew that this was a valid excuse to see Duero.

In a minute, her ejection module was picked up by one of the Warrior Squadron pilots and was transported back to the Nirvana. However, no one knew that in addition to the injured pirate, there was an extra passenger. Saber's lance had not only caused the destruction of Barnette's Dread, but had also deposited a certain device in its systems. 

----------

Meia was feeling pain on a very intense level, but managed to hold her own against the murderous Axe. She had taken quite a beating, but was starting to give back as good as she got. She hadn't endured Slade's training to be beaten by this brute!

She managed to get Axe's weapon in a bind with her spear, then kicked out with her right leg, catching him in the solar plexus. She then thrust forward with her spear to skewer Axe's left shoulder. The larger space warrior howled in pain as he grabbed hold of Meia's weapon and attempted to pull it out. At the same time, he reached out with his other hand and grabbed hold of Meia's throat. She started to feel her neck being constricted, even through her protective armor.

She desperately tried to free herself from her foe's grip, and had to let go of her own weapon. However, even her enhanced strength was no match for the raw power of her opponent. She started to lose consciousness and had to do something quickly. As everything started to go black, she decided on a last-ditch tactic.

You... little... Axe snarled as he increased pressure. In another minute, Meia's head would pop off like a cork from a champagne bottle. Nothing can help her...

_VOLTEKKER... CUTTER!_

Her adversary took the full force of Meia's strongest weapon as she let loose with twin blasts of energy at point-blank range. Axe was taken completely by surprise as he driven back and his armor was shredded. He let off another howl of agony as he fell away from her and was lost in the confusion of the ongoing battle.

Meia gasped as she drifted in space. Her body had been battered, bruised and her armor was badly damaged. However, she was still alive and that was all that mattered. The problem at the moment, was that her fight with Axe had depleted all of her energy stores, and she could feel the effects of total exhaustion. She needed to transform back and quickly. 

Luckily for her, Gascogne was flying nearby in her delivery ship, and sighted her after rearming some of the Dreads. The head supplier picked up the former Dread Leader and headed back to the Nirvana. 

----------

Tekkaman Ruby was reaching her limit as her duel with Rapier intensified. The two had been matching their sword skills and neither one was willing to yield. Jura began to realize that her first victory against the enemy female Tekkaman, had been mostly due to luck. Rapier was definitely no novice when it came to sword combat and overall ferocity, and had already scored several hits on her opponent. Jura's armor had a few deep cuts and gashes in it and she was losing her strength rapidly. She knew that she had to finish this fight and soon. So, she decided to gamble as Rapier dived in for a lethal strike.

Jura fired off her arm shield at her, but Rapier let off a laugh of scorn as she easily dodged it, then drove her sword into Jura's unguarded left flank. The blonde let off a scream of utter pain as Rapier started to twist her blade.

You didn't think I would fall for the same trick, did you? Rapier sneered as she enjoyed watching Jura writhe in agony.

However, Jura let off a small chuckle as she grabbed onto Rapier's sword with one hand and gasped. No... but I knew... that... you'd fall... for _THIS_ trick!

Rapier was about to wonder what she meant, when something struck the back of her head. The sudden impact caused her to lose her grip on her sword, and that's when Jura reacted. Her shield had come back like a boomerang and caught her enemy off guard. The pirate slashed with her sword across the face of her foe, cutting into the helmet and...

Jura bit down and pulled out Rapier's weapon. With adrenaline pumping, she drove her adversary's own blade into the damaged side of Rapier's helmet, causing her to scream even more. Like Axe, she fell away from Jura, giving her opponent the chance to finish her off.

Jura fought back the feeling of shock as she focused her last remaining stores of energy and...

_VOLTEKKER... SCATTER!_

The blisters on her armor glowed as she thrust out her arms and let loose with a barrage of energy bolts that spread out, then came together on their target. Rapier was engulfed in a massive blast of energy, obscuring her from sight.

Jura fought down the urge to throw up as she weakly jetted back to the Nirvana. 

----------

Dita knew that she was in trouble as she was knocked down by Lance. She had tried to fight back with her bow, but she was no match against her savage opponent in close-quarters combat. As the Tekkaman prepared to finish her off, Sapphire prayed that it would be quick.

_Mr. Alien! I'm so sorry!_

Just then, she caught sight of two figures coming up from behind her tormentor. Twin blasts of quantum energy were launched, causing Lance to pause in his execution. This gave Dita a chance to get away as Ukyo and Xian Pu let loose with all the firepower their Tekkasuits possessed.

Lance however, smirked behind his helmet, as he was bombarded by a massive barrage of shots from their quantum-energy cannons. The two Vanguard pilots continued to fire, and fire, and fire. For one full minute, Lance could not be seen with the naked eye.

However, when Ukyo and Xian Pu's weapons ran dry, they beheld a sight which made their blood run cold. When the energy blasts died down and dissipated... Lance was still there, undamaged.

The Tekkaman let loose with a cruel laugh, which made the two girls even more fearful.

_HA HA HA HA HA!_ Well, that was fun! Now... it's _MY TURN!_

Before they could even blink, Lance rocketed toward them. With one swipe of his weapon, he cut into their armor as if it was made of tinfoil, causing massive damage and malfunctions. The two had no choice but to disengage from their Tekkasuits before they were destroyed. Activating their ejection devices, the girls were enveloped in their space suits as their armor units were jettisoned. Their environmental suits automatically began signaling to their Vanguards to pick them up, but as Lance came toward them, the two pirates knew that their machines would not make it in time. They were about to die...

Lance chuckled as he came up to his helpless prey and prepared to turn them into bloody hunks of sushi. Then he heard a voice behind him...

_NO! LEAVE THEM ALONE, YOU BIG BULLY!_

Lance was caught off guard as Dita launched her energy arrows at him. This time, her aim was true as the projectiles nailed the Tekkaman in the back, knocking him away from Xian Pu and Ukyo. As their Vanguards came to pick them up, Sapphire pressed the attack and used her weapon to keep Lance busy as her comrades escaped.

Lance laughed at his foe's pathetic attempts to fight him and swatted away each attack.

Hah! As if _YOU_ could ever defeat me with such weak... _ARGH!_

His taunting was suddenly cut off as Dita fired off an energy arrow at point-blank range, blinding Lance for a few precious seconds. She then got some distance and...

_VOLTEKKER... BLASTER!_

Lance found himself on the receiving end of Dita's final attack and was sent off like a flaming comet.

Dita paused to catch her breath, then signaled for Gascogne to pick her up. She was done. 

----------

Nearby, the battle between Slade and Saber was reaching its climax. Both Tekkamen had lost their weapons and were now exchanging blows at a maddening pace. Neither one even bothered to block each other's attacks, as it boiled down to a question of who wanted to win the most. In the background, the Radam and Nirvana forces fell away to the sides as the end of the conflict was about to be decided.

Slade was a millisecond too slow in countering another series of punches from Saber, causing him to be momentarily dazed. That was all the time Saber needed as he jetted backward to get some distance and shouted out in triumph.

It's time I put you out of my misery! Goodbye Slade! _ANTI-VOLTEKKER!_

The Nirvana's Tekkaman had no chance to defend himself as Saber let loose with crimson bolts of energy, which engulfed his target in a blinding sphere of destruction. He could feel his damaged armor break away and his body being bathed in agony. However, as he felt himself being torn apart, a strange sensation washed over him and a thin blue aura surrounded his form.

Saber felt a feeling of foreboding as he saw the outline of Slade within the field of energy. He had thought that he had finally defeated his adversary, but...

_No! I **GOT** him! He should be blasted into dust! What's happening... **OH NO!**_

Oh yes!

The remnants of Slade's armor regenerated themselves and became more robust. His body surged with new power as the transformation to Tekkaman Blastor took place. The energy around him dispersed as Slade's evolved form emerged.

_No! I was so **CLOSE**! Damn him!_

It's over, Saber! Blastor growled as he held out his arms and opened up his Voltekker Units. He began powering up as he aimed for his rival and the Spider-Crabs behind him. Since the Nirvana fighters had withdrawn, they were in no danger of being caught in the blast.

Saber snarled as he began rocketing away. He knew that this battle was lost, but with his objective achieved, there was no point in remaining.

Another time, Slade! Saber promised as he made his escape toward a waiting Seed Ship. The Radam forces desperately began their withdrawal before Blastor attacked, but only the Tekkamen and a few of their Spider-Crabs would make it. The rest was going to be destroyed.

Saber and his injured cohorts, barely managed to get into the Seed Ship and escape into hyperspace, when Blastor let loose with his strongest weapon.

The hordes of Spider-Crabs were annihilated as the blast caught them all like a raging tsunami. The entire sector of space was engulfed with the resulting energy shockwaves, and even with its shields on full, the Nirvana was almost shaken to pieces. Then, as the force of the blast died out, Tekkaman Blastor limped back to the ship. It was over for now. 

----------

Later...

How does that feel, Barnette? Duero asked as he finished bandaging up the Dread pilot's arm.

It feels good. Barnette replied with a small smile. How are Dita, Jura and Meia?

It was... a bit touch-and-go for a while, but they all managed to pull through. It was partly due to their status of Tekkamen. Their bodies were more resilient that I had thought and they should be fully recovered in a week or so.

That's good to hear. What would we do without you? Barnette gave him a more pronounced smile.

Sometimes, I wonder. Duero replied quietly. His thoughts went back to when Jura and the other Tekkamen were brought in.

The blonde Tekkaman had suffered a ruptured spleen and a damaged liver during her fight with Rapier. The others weren't quite as injured, but also needed serious medical attention. The sight of their wounds and all that blood, had made Paiway almost totally petrified with fear and disgust. All of her training was forgotten and she had been nearly useless to Duero as he worked to stabilize their conditions. The good doctor had to work overtime to see to their needs.

Once he was certain that they would survive, he had given the apprentice nurse a stern talking to. It was very hard for him not to lose his temper over Paiway's inability to deal with such matters of importance. The little girl protested, saying that he was being unfair in his judgment over her recent performance. The physician however, knew that he would have to be harsh and make Paiway understand that this was no game. He didn't like to cause anyone pain, either physically or mentally, but he had to get her medical skills up to satisfactory levels, or else the entire crew would suffer in the near future.

The doctor was brought back to reality when he heard Barnette's voice. He turned toward her, checked the dressing and nodded. Your arm should be all right in two days or so. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have three Tekkamen to see to. I imagine that they're going to be very hungry, once those sedatives wear off. As he got up to leave for the intensive care ward, Barnette reached out and took hold of his right wrist, stopping him. He glanced over his shoulder with a questioning gaze. Is... there anything else?

Barnette did not answer immediately as she looked into the eye that wasn't covered by hair. She had grown fond of the color hazel and to her, looking into that eye was like seeing into his soul. She could see that something was bothering the good doctor, and she guess why. Paiway had often complained in the cafeteria after her training sessions.

Finally, she spoke in a gentle tone. Duero, don't be so hard on Paiway. She really is trying.

How could you know about...?

Barnette smiled knowingly. Well, with all the time you've been spending with her and how she's been... Her voice trailed off as she recalled exactly what the apprentice nurse had called him behind his back, she phrased her next words carefully. ... taking the training, it wasn't hard to figure out.

It's... very obvious, isn't it? Duero sighed as he sat back down.

Yes, and even though Paiway doesn't show it, she really does appreciate all that you're doing for her. I'll admit that she wasn't exactly doctor material, when she started taking up medical duties, but at least we all knew that she cared about us.

Duero nodded and held up a hand. Oh, I'm not questioning her sincerity to her duties. That was the main reason why I'm training her. She has the potential to be a good nurse, or even a physician. The only thing is, I have to smooth out all the rough edges, and she has a _LOT_ of them. However, I think that she will be able to handle things, once I'm gone.

Barnette felt a bit of regret in her heart as she realized the truth in Duero's statement. The Tarak physician would most likely return to his homeworld, once this crisis was over. She became a bit rueful that she had such little time to get to know him better. All those months wasted in hating Duero as a man, instead of seeing him as Deuro the person. 

She quickly banished such sad thoughts as she leaned forward and gave him a peck on his cheek. She then quickly got up and said, Well, give Paiway some more time. I'm sure she'll come around, Razor.

As she left the Sick Bay, Duero continued to sit and wonder. His right hand came up to stroke the place where Barnette's lips had touched. In his mind, he could hear her voice saying his nickname. With a slight smile, he got to his feet and headed toward the Intensive Care Ward. 

----------

Earth...

Saber and the rest of the Tekkamen were being regenerated in the Tekkapods as Darkon contemplated the next step. The operation had cost him quite dearly, but the goal had been achieved. Unknown to the Nirvana and its crew, the battle had been merely a diversion. A much more insidious plan was in the works.

When Saber had returned, he had been severely reprimanded for his disobedience. The red Tekkaman had protested and even demanded the secret to Slade's evolution. However, the Radam Warlord had once again refused to divulge the process and had Saber placed in indefinite stasis, until he saw fit to release him.

Oh yes, Darkon knew of the penultimate form of the Tekkaman. He knew of its strengths and of its weaknesses. In fact, he was certain that Slade would soon realize the price to be paid for having such power. 

----------

Days later on the Nirvana...

Slade was feeling quite... nauseous as he left the cafeteria. He wasn't hungry as usual, and those in cafeteria were quite surprised to see him leave without eating all of his food. Usually, in one sitting, he would eat enough to feed ten people. However, he had barely consumed a tenth of his meal before calling it quits.

As he plodded down the hallway, he passed by Duero and gave him a small wave. As he continued onward, Duero looked over his shoulder and became a bit concerned at the state Slade was in. Of course, he had been expecting that the Tekkaman would be a little drained after transforming to his evolved form. However, this time, Slade's usual coordination was lacking and he walking as if he was being weighed down.

Duero began to suspect that something was wrong, very wrong.

Slade staggered into his quarters and plopped facedown on his bed. As he lay on his stomach, he absently began staring at the wall. Suddenly, his eyesight momentarily blurred as everything became bathed in a red haze. A sharp pain briefly flared in his head before subsiding. The Tekkaman wondered just what was happening, then dismissed it as merely fatigue. He reasoned that all he needed was some rest and let himself drift off to sleep.

Little did he know, that his condition was more serious than anyone would think. 

----------

In the hanger, the remains of Barnette's fighter was recycled as a new Dread was being built for Jura's friend. As the engineers worked taking apart the cockpit and installing new systems, nobody noticed a tiny, alien device that was attached to a subsystem. As one of Parfet's engineers hooked up the onboard navigational computer to a terminal, the Radam device began to carry out its programming. It immediately detached itself from its hiding place and began riding the relays towards its first destination... the Nirvana's Paksis.

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, that was a long one and now we're heading into chapter 8, a three-part storyline which will entail some _MAJOR_ changes in the storyline. As the battle against the Radam heats up, these events will have some serious results. See you there! 


	17. Chapter 8, Part 1: Darkon’s Plan

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: This story is based on someone else's works, and you know the rest.

: Thoughts

**Chapter 8**

Part 1

Darkon's Plan

Slade, formally known as Ranma Saotome, writhed fitfully in his sleep. In his dreams, a voice was heard in his head, repeating over an over in a scornful tone.

_Foolish boy! You're nothing but a weakling! Where's your pride as a martial artist? Where's your honor? Stop your whining! A martial artist must be prepared to sacrifice his life for the sake of the **ART**!_

_But I don't want to!_ A young voice replied as Slade recognized it as a younger version of himself.

_I am ashamed of you, boy! Oh what did I to be cursed with such a weakling, who can't even take a little harmless training? Now get in there and learn that technique!_

Once again, Slade saw a young boy being thrown into a dark pit. The blackness was soon illuminated by those countless multitudes of red eyes. Then, the indescribable pain and anguish began again.

A minute later, Slade screamed himself awake as he fell to the floor of his quarters. Fortunately, by this time, the space had been drained of the recent flood waters and cleaned, so he landed on a dry floor.

The Tekkaman panted hard as he sat up. That same dream had come to him again. He found himself shivering almost uncontrollably as he began to wonder if he wasn't going mad. 

----------

The force of Slade's reaction to his dream made three others aboard the Nirvana suddenly scream and drop out of their beds. On their foreheads, their symbols glowed in tune with Slade's even though he was on a different deck. Each girl wondered why they had reacted like that and then had an image of Slade in their minds.

Things were getting more serious. 

----------

The Nirvana's Conference Room...

Magno nodded as she, Slade, Meia and BC were discussing the events of the past battles with their new enemy, the murderous Radam.

So what you're saying is that the Harvesters are no longer a threat? The aged woman asked.

Slade nodded. That's what Meia and I were able to piece together from what I learned from Saber and Ghaleon. As far as we can tell, the Harvesters are extinct. Judging from what Saber stated, I think these aliens, the Radam destroyed the Earth Forces and took over.

Meia nodded as well. It makes sense. We haven't come across a single Cube Fighter or any other kind of Harvester Ship for a while now. Those Spider-Crabs are definitely organic in nature, judging from their remains. Parfet's teams and Duero have been studying them and they have found residual circuits that resembled those found in Cube Fighters, but arranged in patterns like rudimentary nervous pathways.

It sounds so... impossible. BC stated as she looked at the holoprojections of the engineering team's findings. Are you saying that those monsters were once Cube Fighters? That the... Radam are able to transform machines into living tissue?

Well, Parfet and the doctor wouldn't exactly call them alive. Meia amended. Duero says that they're more along the lines of mindless drones of pseudo-protoplasm. They're like organic robots. And judging by the way this Radam has been using them so far, I think they're considered as nothing more than cannon fodder. They only seem to be concerned with destroying the enemy, regardless of their losses.

Magno nodded in agreement to Meia's assessment. So what you're saying is that this Radam's strategy is totally different from that of the Harvesters.

BC became a little alarmed at this hypothesis. Then that means that collecting human organs is no longer an issue. Captain, do you realize what this means?

The hundred-plus-year-old woman nodded. Yes. Our messages to Tarak and Mejele about the Harvesters are no longer valid. That is, if they ever received them. And I severely doubt they'd believe us about the Radam.

But Captain, we do have undeniable proof of their existence. Meia affirmed as she gestured to herself and to Slade. Slade, myself, Jura and Dita!

She's right. Slade agreed. We're living proof of what the Radam are capable of. We learned from Ghaleon that the Tekkaman Power Process was originally created by the Radam. And it makes sense as to how Saber and those other Tekkamen were created if the Radam were behind it all. And then there's the Paksis.

Yes, we could show them our Tekkamen... BC suggested but was stopped as Magno held up a hand.

Indeed we could, Magno interjected. But keep in mind who we are trying to convince. The governments of both Mejele and Tarak are not the most accepting of people. And seeing what a Tekkaman is capable of may stir up some power struggles. I'm quite certain that there are several members of both governments who would see Slade and the others as the ultimate weapons to use against their enemies. We cannot afford to have more conflict between our two worlds, especially when we all need to be united against this newer, deadlier enemy.

Yes... I suppose you're right.

So where do we go from here? Slade inquired.

For the time being, all we can do is continue on our way to our home systems. Whether they will believe us or not, we still must warn them of the threat.

The others nodded as the meeting was concluded and they all got up. However, when Slade suddenly stumbled to the floor, they stopped and looked down at the former Saotome.

Slade, are you all right? Meia asked as she knelt down to help him up.

Slade shook his head to clear it, then nodded as he got up. It's okay. I was just clumsy... that's all. He brushed himself off and promptly left the room, followed by the former Dread Leader.

Both BC and Magno stayed behind as the two exited. They had expressions of surprise and concern on their faces.

Clumsy? Slade? That doesn't sound right. BC remarked.

Magno agreed slowly as she wondered about him. Slade had been acting somewhat uncoordinated as of late, which was odd for someone who was skilled in the martial arts. She had seen him practice intensely almost every day and he had never displayed anything less than the grace of a jungle cat from Mejele. Sometimes he would put even those felines to shame. 

----------

Later...

Slade grunted as he lifted a very heavy piece of machinery. However, the massive console barely made it off the floor as he staggered toward the place where Gascogne was indicating. After placing the console down, he wiped his brow and took a long, deep breath.

Are you feeling all right, D-Boy? The head supplier asked in concern.

The Tekkaman nodded as he rubbed his slightly sore arms and back. Yeah, it's nothing. I've been a little tired for a while, that's all. I guess I should have lifted with my legs, eh Ms. Gasco?

Gascogne was not convinced. Last week, Slade had lifted three times as much weight without any problems. How could he have so much trouble with a mere 5000 kilos? 

----------

Still later...

You're getting better, Xian Pu. You managed to tag me a couple of times. Slade said as he helped his sparring partner up off the mat.

Thanks. I think I've gotten faster. The Amazon said happily as she wiped off her sweaty forehead with a towel.

Same time tomorrow, okay? Slade said as he picked up his own towel and headed back toward his quarters for a shower. And remember to always fight with honor.

Xian Pu nodded as she watched him go. Then she started thinking back to her training session. She was convinced that her reflexes and overall speed had increased, but she still couldn't believe that she had actually landed some blows on him. His speed today seemed slower and some of his punches and blocks were sloppy. Had he been purposely holding back or was it something else? 

----------

In his quarters, Slade held his right wrist with his left hand. In his right was a glass of water, but he was having a difficult time of keeping it steady. After a minute, his grip failed him and the glass dropped to the floor and shattered, causing the water to spill into a small puddle.

Slade did not even the notice the mess he had made as his sense of balance was thrown off, giving him a feeling of vertigo. The room spun about before his eyes and he felt another sharp stab of pain in his head. His vision became clouded in a blood-red haze. The sensations lasted for a long minute as he fought to keep on his feet. Finally, the sensation ended as his vision cleared and the dizziness disappeared. 

However, Slade was left shaken and a bit drained as he wondered just what was happening to him. These sensations only started after his latest transformation to Tekkaman Blastor. He wondered if they were connected, then decided to dismiss the possibility. He was only tired and fighting the Radam had taken a lot out of him, that was all. Besides, he had to think about the safety of the Nirvana, and he couldn't be bothered with any other problems. 

----------

Speaking of other problems...

Parfet nodded as her latest project was nearing completion. The salvaged components of Jura, Dita and Meia's old Dreads were being integrated into the new systems and would soon be ready for testing.

As the chief engineer of the Nirvana worked, neither she nor any members of her team noticed a certain Radam device was making its way toward the interface console which was linked to the Nirvana's Paksis Core. 

The thing was no larger than a mote of dust and was shaped like some grotesque insect. The Radam spy had been programmed to infiltrate the mainframe of the Paksis Core and was now just inches away from its goal. It had taken quite a while to travel through the miles of circuit relays and protection devices, before it finally reached its destination. Once it found the correct access port, it used a special program to subtly sneak its way into the heart of the pirate vessel.

As it found itself within the crystalline depths of the Paksis, it then got to work.

The Nirvana's Paksis was certainly corrupted from its continued interaction with these pitiful humans. The Radam device deduced that the core's prolonged absence from Radam influence had made it impossible to return it back to its true calling, serving its Radam masters. The core resisted all attempts to subvert it and the device concluded that the exercise was futile. The spy lacked both the power and the time to force the Paksis to change sides. Any continued attempts would most certainly alert the crew to its presence.

The initial plan to bring the Paksis back under the control of its creators was abandoned, but the secondary plan would be carried out. Tapping into the core's memory banks, the spy started downloading certain processes and modifications to the Tekkaman Transformation. Once it had obtained the data it needed, the spy then exited the Paksis and went to carry out the second part of the plan. 

----------

The Sick Bay...

The spy found its way into Duero's console through a service port. As it made its way through the physician's security protocols, it started delving into the ship's personnel files. Every last detail of each crewmember was taken in, including their physical, psychological and personal data. It sorted through every one until it came across two particular individuals. Making more extensive calculations, it decided that these two would serve Darkon's purposes well.

After completing the data scan, the tiny device headed toward the sensor relay systems of the ship. After integrating itself into the circuitry, it scanned the routine sensor emissions that the ship normally let off. It began transmitting a tachyon carrier wave during a sensor phase. The data stream then rode its way out into space and toward its destination... the Earth.

Once its mission was completed, the device activated its self-destruct circuit, which caused it to be burned out, leaving no trace of it ever existing. 

----------

Earth...

Darkon was waiting patiently in his Throne Room when he was alerted that a certain transmission was being received. He smiled as the data appeared on his monitor.

_Oh yes... these two will do nicely..._

He then signaled to the Earth Paksis to begin phase two of his plan. At the same time, he began the awakening process for his Tekkamen.

Saber... Lance... Axe... Rapier... come to me. Your master commands you. 

----------

We are here... Master. Saber said with a slight bit of irritation, as he and the other Tekkamen appeared before the Radam Warlord. The four space warriors were in their human forms. For the most part, they had recovered from their bout with Slade and the three former Dread Pilots, but one could tell that the battles had left their marks.

Rapier now wore her hair like Duero's, which covered the right side of her face. Underneath those tresses, her face was disfigured from the wound she had received from Jura. Since then, she had vowed to make that blond Tekkaman pay.

Axe had several scars criss-crossing across his own body after being on the receiving end of Meia's Voltekker. He too was anxious to encounter the Nirvana's defenders and make Diamond suffer each and every wound he had suffered, a thousand-fold.

As for Lance, though he had suffered some damage, the biggest injury had been to his ego. He couldn't believe that a novice like Sapphire had gotten the best of him. When Saber had taunted him about it, Lance became even more determined to show him and everyone else that he was not to be taken lightly.

For Saber, he was still angered that Darkon still would not give him the secret of evolving to the penultimate form. However, he was still bound to the Radam Warlord, just as the others were. He had no choice, but to follow his orders or face annihilation. Darkon had ensured of their loyalty from the moment they had been created. For each contained a certain parasitic organism embedded within their medulla oblongata, which used hypnotic and painful incentives to remind them who was the master and who was the slave. Even the Harvesters had been unaware of the machinations of the Radam and their obedience chips would have been overridden, but that was a moot point.

Darkon nodded to his operatives as he waved his hand. A holographic projection appeared before them, showing the Nirvana's present coordinates.

The pirates are nearing their home systems and we cannot allow them to reach Mejele and Tarak before our forces. Darkon said. Therefore, I am sending several battle groups of Spider-Crabs to delay them until phase two of my plan is complete.

How may we serve you, Lord Darkon? Lance asked with an eagerness that made Saber feel the need to hurl.

_Bootlicker. Ass-kissing little toad._

The warlord pointed to a section of space in which the Nirvana was heading toward. The pirates are heading toward this asteroid field, which happens to be near twin red stars. The solar flares and electromagnetic fields are intense and will cause massive interference with their navigational and sensor systems. I believe this will provide us with the optimum setting to obtain our... guinea pigs.

Master? A question.

Yes, Rapier?

The female Tekkaman gestured to the files that had been downloaded from the Nirvana's personnel database. I can see how we can get this person, but the other is most likely to remain on the Nirvana. How are we to draw him out?

Excellent question, Rapier. Darkon commented as he then changed the images and showed them his answer. We simply use the appropriate bait.

All four warriors were quite surprised to see a certain someone on the monitor.

Saber exclaimed as he recognized the individual. I would have thought he'd be long dead by now.

That's what I thought too, when I had the entire Harvester fleet transformed into the new Radam Armada, but apparently, he managed to survive, though not totally intact. I've been keeping him under wraps until I decided how to dispose' of him... in the most painful way possible, of course.

Why did you not submit him to...? Axe began.

He would not have survived. Darkon said, answering his incomplete question. Especially in the condition that I found him in. However, his mind, though partially gone, still offered some possibilities.

You say that you intend to use him as bait. Saber interrupted. As I believe, the people on the Nirvana were not very fond of him and he made several other planets... angry. And I also recall that the Harvesters had abandoned him as well.

Darkon agreed. However, he is still a human being... more or less and I know that the Nirvana will answer the call of _ANYONE_ in distress. You've already proven that, Saber. It is, after all the _HUMANE_ thing to do. In any case, he will provide enough cause for them to at least investigate and he is considered expendable. As soon as our objective is achieved, I don't really care what happens to him afterwards. 

----------

Later...

Saber nodded as he read the Nirvana's files concerning Slade. They were quite informative as the Tekkaman began to get more insight on his greatest opponent. The personal records were specially helpful as Saber discovered a few traits about Slade, which he could use to his advantage.

Ever since his creation, Saber had developed a kind of obsession with the white Tekkaman. The red cosmic warrior had been created for the sole purpose of destroying Slade. The fact that he had been unable to do that yet, has been a source of great irritation. Saber wanted the title of greatest warrior and Slade was his biggest obstacle to achieve it. The Harvester Council had never given him the fear and respect he deserved, and even his true master Darkon, considered him as nothing less than a lackey. Now that Slade had achieved the penultimate state of the Tekkaman, it seemed that Saber would never be able to overcome him.

However, with this new information, Saber now had a weapon in which he could use against his opponent and bring him down to his level. Psychological warfare was not his specialty, but this new tactic just might be enough. 

----------

Deep in the bowels of what was once Earth, a lone figure lay in a stasis tube. He was barely alive by human standards, and his overall form was a ruin. Then again, what could one expect from someone who had been... harvested.

Rabat's body was missing both his arms and legs, one lung and part of his liver. He would have been completely dissected had the Radam not taken over and transformed the Harvester Craft that had captured him. As a result, the process had been halted and the rest of his body had been shunted into near-suspended animation. He was still alive, if one could call it that. He could see and hear everything, but could not do anything. He couldn't even speak as his vocal cords had been removed during the dissection process. All he could do was drop in and out of consciousness and stare at a never-changing environment of metal, circuits and the strange organic growths that had corrupted the Earth Ship and made it an instrument of the Radam.

As for his simian partner Utan, since she was not human, the Harvester Craft had considered her as worthless and had ejected her into the cold, airless vacuum of space. Rabat could only watch helplessly as the orangutan's body contorted and imploded. The only solace he could find was that she didn't suffer for long. She was the lucky one. As for him, his seemingly endless torment continued.

Since his internment in his living tomb, Rabat had learned from a nearby console that the Harvesters were no more and the Radam had been resurrected. He didn't know why he was being fed such information, but figured that the new masters of Earth were merely torturing him for their amusement. Over time, he began to finally see the pain and suffering he had caused to those other planets and wished many times that the Radam would just kill him and get it over with. However, his silent prayers continued to go unanswered as Darkon saw fit to continue putting him though agony after agony. His limbless body was connected to several organic tendrils which allowed the Warlord to activate any number of Rabat's remaining nerves, especially his pain receptors. Darkon found it very amusing to watch his helpless captive writhe in anguish as he experienced pain that was barely endurable.

Rabat wanted to die. He wanted to die badly! There was nothing that could be worse than death! Just why didn't those Radam bastards end it already?! What more could they want from him?

It was then that he noticed a new tendril being extended toward him. Looking out of the corner of his right eye, Rabat trembled as he saw something crawling down the tendril toward the back of his neck. The thing was about the size of a large cockroach, but possessed wicked-looking mandibles and claws. His breathing increased as he tried to squirm away from it, but the other tendrils held him fast. The creature's jaws dripped with gooey saliva and its beady eyes focused on its target. Within a minute, it had crossed the distance between them and began biting into his flesh.

With his vocal cords gone, Rabat couldn't scream out, at least not verbally. However, his mind was letting off mental screams that would have woken the dead as the Radam parasite continued to gnaw its way into his neck and clamped onto a certain bundle of brain stem nerves. It embedded itself deep within his flesh as the former Harvester agent lost the last bit of his own being to the Radam. 

----------

A few days later...

Captain, I'm receiving a distress signal coming from a nearby sector of the asteroid field. Misty declared as she worked at her station.

The old woman replied as she looked at the main viewscreen, which indicated the position of the transmission. Any idea who is hailing us?

One moment. Misty said as she read the identification code. I've got it. It's someone by the name of... Rabat?

The rest of the bridge crew blanched at the mention of that name. Even Bart made his reaction known as his Navigation Well glowed with an angry aura. Understandably, since she had never met him, Misty couldn't comprehend their reactions. 

----------

The Conference Room...

Rabat? That piece of space trash? What does _HE_ want? Jura snorted, as she and the others discussed their reactions to the mercenary's request for aid.

Apparently, he seems to be in need of our help. Magno answered, as she waited for the inevitable response. More than a few people harbored a grudge against the traitor to the human race.

_OUR_ help?! After he _SOLD_ us all out to the Harvesters? I say we let him rot! Jura said emphatically, which made many of the others nod in agreement.

Even the cool and collected Meia had to concur with her cohort. Captain, you aren't really considering coming to his aid, are you? I mean, this could all be another Harvester trap.

Keep in mind, Meia, that the Harvesters are no longer an issue. BC interjected. According to all available data, the Harvesters are gone.

Well, even if they are gone, that _STILL_ does not excuse him for his deals with the Earth, and all those planets that had been destroyed because of them.

Magno nodded. However, his distress signal appears to be genuine, and he also claims to have some vital information about this new enemy, the Radam, which he is willing to share with us.

How much? Slade asked with suspicion.

As far as I can tell, it's free. He hasnt asked for anything... yet. Magno answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

This took everyone completely by surprise. The mere notion of Rabat offering something without charge was absolutely ludicrous!

No way! Barnette said in denial. Nothing's ever _FREE_, especially when it comes from that sneak! There _HAS_ to be a catch!

Duero nodded. I'm inclined to agree with Barnette on this matter. Judging from our previous encounters with Rabat, I find it very difficult to believe that Rabat would offer such important information, without wanting something in return. In my personal opinion, he must have an ulterior motive in mind.

Barnette smiled a bit when the doctor agreed with her and there was a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

Not wanting to be outdone, Parfet also put in her two cents. Yeah, and you _DO_ remember when he gave us that bootleg piece of junk of a power coupling. It took my teams three _DAYS_ to get the engines back on line!

So are you suggesting that we should ignore his pleas for help? Magno asked of her crew, then directed her gaze to Duero. Will you ignore your oath as a physician? According to Rabat's message, he has been critically injured and requires medical attention.

Duero was taken aback, then sighed as he shook his head reluctantly. As a doctor, it is not my place to pass judgment. You asked for us to give our opinions. However, I will carry out my duty, regardless of any personal feelings. The decision is yours, Captain.

Satisfied with his response, she then turned back to the others. And what of all of you? Are you going to just let someone die? Are we no better than Rabat?

There was a long silence as the others considered the thought of abandoning that mercenary to his fate. He most certainly deserved it. It would be so easy to simply ignore the distress signal and continue on their way to Mejele and Tarak. However, their consciences just wouldn't leave them alone.

Finally, Slade decided to speak.

Captain, we may just regret doing this, but I suppose nobody deserves to die like that. But you have to admit that the last time we answered a distress call, it turned out to be a trap, and we were almost blown to pieces. This could be another setup.

I have considered the possibility. The pirate captain admitted. Therefore, I have decided to leave this decision to a vote. All those in favor of answering Rabat's call, raise your hands.

At first, no one responded, but after a long silence, Slade was first to raise his hand as he let off a tired sigh. He hated Rabat and wanted nothing more to do with him. However, it was in the code of the martial artist to help others, despite what crimes they had committed.

He was immediately followed by Duero, Meia, Jura, Dita and Bart. Another moment later, the others followed, with BC being the last to agree. They all began making some contingency plans in case this rescue' was a trap. 

----------

Saber nodded as he watched from within a hidden Seed Ship in the asteroid field. On his monitor, the Nirvana began making some course changes toward Rabat's position. Beside him, the other Tekkamen also watched with interest.

Hmmm, so they've taken the bait. Lance remarked.

Saber snorted with disdain. Hmpf! Such weakness. Actually going out of their way to save a worthless scumbag like Rabat. They're too soft!

What does it matter? Rapier said. Everything is going according to Lord Darkon's plans. Now all we have to do, is wait until our two test subjects appear. 

----------

The Nirvana slowly made its way through the dangerous masses of rock, ice and various space debris, as it homed in on Rabat's supposed distress signal. Two squadrons of Dreads and a few Tekkasuits led the way. The Dreads provided cover for the smaller versions of the Vanguards as they were more suited to maneuvering about the dangerous obstacles.

Among the Warrior squadron, Duero was also present as he flew in his own modified Tekkasuit. Unlike the others, it was equipped with more sensor arrays and medical paraphernalia. It was only armed with a light quantum-energy sidearm and small, shoulder-mounted missile launchers. Flying nearby, was Slade, Pegas, and Gascogne's delivery ship. Meia, Dita and Jura were standing by in the Nirvana, along with Parfet's latest addition to their arsenal. They would be the backup, if things turned out badly.

Despite the protests of both the captain and Parfet, the Tarak doctor insisted that he be part of the away team, as Rabat did state in his message that he needed medical attention. The captain was reluctant to let her top physician and surgeon be in danger again, regardless of the assurances that Paiway would be able to take over if something happened. As for Parfet, she made extra-certain that his Tekkasuit would give him the maximum amount of protection. He had turned down using the Vanguard as he surmised that he might need more fine-manipulation and work in limited spaces.

Barnette however, was more than happy to be flying cover for Duero as she maneuvered her fighter as close as she could to his position. Her sensors were sweeping the areas around her for any sign of the enemy. It was then that her sensors picked up something that was nearby. The rest of the squadron also registered the object on their sensors, which they all confirmed as the energy signature of Rabat's vessel.

Duero and the other members of the Warrior Squadron lead the way, but as they neared the ship, the energy fields of interference grew more intense and communications became garbled. 

----------

The Nirvana...

Duero! Are you still there? Your communications link is beginning to break up! BC called out.

Amidst the static, the good doctor answered.

I'm trying.... (sqwark).... to boost my.... (bzzzt).... sssmisssion... (crackle).... all right. Have visuals with.... (snap).... and beginning survey. Keep in contact.... (phssst).... stand by.

Ezra kept a close eye on her console, and especially on the homing beacons of the Tekkasuits. 

----------

Duero was suspicious as he gazed upon Rabat's ship. It was a mess and there were several hull breeches. Energy pulses were being randomly emitted from various areas, which could explain the interference, but things didn't seem right. The damage did not seem recent and the physician was wondering how Rabat could have fared for very long with the ship in this state.

He then put to the test, Parfet's sensor enhancements to his Tekkasuit. Cutting through the electromagnetic pulses and other energy emissions, he began picking up faint human life signs, but the signals were barely detectable. They were just hovering above a comatose state.

Using his quantum-energy sidearm, he began cutting into the hull near one of the holes, which was located close to the bridge. When the opening was wide enough, he gave a few hand signals to Slade and the others, indicating for them to hold back and prepare for anything.

He then entered the ship and came across his patient.

Duero to Nirvana... I've found him.

_So that's why his life signs are so low._ The doctor thought as he saw the former mercenary encased within a strange-looking cryo-stasis pod. His body was definitely in need of medical attention and he seemed to be in a kind of trance-like state. This got Duero to thinking as he approached the pod and began examining it. _Hmmm... it looks like he's been in near-suspended animation for.... three months?_ He took note of the bio-chronology readings of his sensors. _That doesn't make any sense! If he was in stasis for that long, then how did he transmit that distress signal? It wasn't more than a few hours old! And if I'm reading my med-scanners right, then he shouldn't have been able to speak, let alone transmit an audio message. He's missing his larynx and... wait a minute! What **IS** that thing?_

His Tekkasuit's bio-med scanners began focusing on a certain structure that was implanted at the base of Rabat's medulla oblongata. It was putting out its own life signs, which were attuned to Rabat's. They were synchronized so closely, that Duero's sensors could barely distinguish one from the other.

_I have no idea what that thing is, but I'm willing to bet that it has something to do with the Radam. And if that's the case, then this entire setup may just well be a..._

It was at that moment, the Radam parasite sprung the trap. Using Rabat's nervous system as a conductor, it transmitted an electromagnetic pulse which activated certain devices within the pod. Tendrils of pseudo-cytoplasm shot out from the pod and wrapped themselves around Duero's Tekkasuit. The physician had no chance to defend himself as the tendrils pierced through the reinforced alloys and began playing havoc with the circuitry. The Tarak man found himself trapped within an armored straight-jacket as all of his systems, save for life-support, were deactivated.

At that moment, the others found themselves under attack. 

----------

Captain! I've lost contact with the doctor's homing beacon! Ezra cried out.

Just as she spoke, the entire ship shuddered from a massive barrage, putting the entire crew on battle alert.

From within hidden pockets in the nearby asteroids, swarms of Spider-Crabs emerged to assault Magno's crew. Among them were four agents of Darkon. 

----------

In the main hanger of the Nirvana, Dita, Jura and Meia were given the _GO_ signal. Each climbed aboard her new fighter and powered up its engines. The new Mini-Dreads as Parfet referred them as, were fully armed and fueled. The hanger doors opened up and they were systematically launched.

Each fighter was about the size of an old-style Earth F-86 Sabre Jet, and was similarly-designed as its former, larger incarnation. Each emphasized the best traits of the pilot. Meia's was of course, sleek and designed for speed. Being smaller meant that it presented less target space and offered greater maneuverability. Jura's offered high protection as well as a wide cone of fire with its eight quantum cannons, mounted in quads on each side. Dita's was a combination of the others, with even balance of speed, armor and firepower.

Each girl felt as if she back in the Dread Squadrons again as her new fighter easily made short work of her Spider-Crab adversaries. With Paksis power coursing through each machine's circuits, the three Tekkamen began decimating the hordes of Darkon. 

----------

Meia made a tight banking maneuver and led four Spider-Crabs on a merry chase through the asteroids. Two of them were unable to negotiate the tight spaces and fields of debris. They ended up crashing into the chunks of rock and exploding into pus and organic debris.

She then put her Mini-Dread into a reverse-loop, putting herself behind her remaining two pursuers. With a couple of quick bursts from her forward quantum blasters, she picked them off like a skeet shooter taking out clay targets. 

----------

Jura absolutely loved her new weapon as she activated its reflector satellites. Each device was circular in shape and rotated about her fighter like her original Dread. With a special coating of Paksis crystals on each, the satellites easily reflected every shot made against her. And when she used them to reflect the blasts of her own cannons, it caught the groups of Radam drones off guard, devastating their numbers and causing confusion among their ranks. 

----------

As for Dita, it was as if she was saying hello to an old friend. Though she was still a novice pilot as compared to her comrades, but with her new Paksis-powered Mini-Dread, she was able to take out several dozens of Spider-Crabs. It was like playing a video game!

_**ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!**_

Five thousand points! 

----------

With this new turn of events, the Dreads and Tekkasuits were given a reprieve as the pressure was eased off. Barnette took this opportunity to check on Duero and headed toward Rabat's ship. What she didn't know was that she was playing right into Darkon's hands.

The actions of the new weapons caught the attention of three of the Radam Warlord's minions and they began making a beeline toward them. The three Dread pilots caught sight of them and took evasive action. However, each girl knew that their opponents had the advantage in maneuverability, power and armor. So that only left them with one recourse.

Each girl pressed a switch on their consoles, which made a small panel open before them. Her Tekkacrystal was raised up in a slot. Parfet had created the Mini-Dreads by using their crystals as focal points for their Paksis energy systems. They grasped their most precious possessions and...

In a flash, their canopies opened up and the girls became their more powerful alter-egos. The Mini-Dreads flew off to one side as Sapphire, Diamond and Ruby took on Lance, Axe and Rapier. 

----------

Meanwhile...

Slade gritted his teeth as grappled with Saber. Pegas was unable to come to his aid as it was busy with several Spider-Crabs.

The two rivals exchanged blow after brutal blow as the battle raged on. The white Tekkaman found himself being pushed harder and harder, as his scarlet foe continued his relentless assault.

What's the matter Slade? Saber taunted as he landed a savage kick to Slade's head. You're not putting up much of a fight. Have you been letting yourself slide?

_SHUT UP!_ Slade growled as he countered with a fast diagonal slash with his lance. 

However, Saber being experienced with Slade's usual tactics, parried with his own weapon, then sent a fist into Slade's abdomen, driving him back.

Not _THIS_ time, Slade! You think I haven't learned from all of our past encounters? He emphasized his point by slashing his lance across Slade's chest armor, followed by a triple-punch and kick combination, making his opponent reel back even further. He let off another chuckle. In a way, I can't help but feel that we're two of a kind, Slade, like brothers... opposite sides of the mirror. We both strive to be the best, but there's only room in this universe for _ONE_ ultimate warrior. And the way I see it, my closest rival is about to relinquish his claim to the title. That is... unless you intend to cheat by evolving into your stronger form?

Slade gritted as he gripped his lance even tighter.

Saber chuckled again. You know, now that I think about it, you've never actually won against me in a one-on-one fight, have you? You've always had some sort of last-minute rescue or secret weapon to use against me. Now you've got this _ALMIGHTY_ transformation. If you are truly deserving of the mantle of a Tekkaman, then you should be able to beat me... without resorting to it.

Why... you...

I read your files, Slade. You are quite adamant as a martial artist, aren't you? And you've got considerable amounts of... what was it called? Oh yes... _HONOR_. Saber said that last part with complete contempt, making Slade's blood boil even more.

So what are you saying? Slade snarled.

What I'm saying that I've already proven that I'm the better warrior. Unless you wish to prove that I'm wrong?

How about it, Slade? We can settle this once and for all. No Tekkabot, no transformations, no Spider-Crabs, no one to help either of us. There is no Radam or Nirvana. It's just between you and me, Slade. Tekkaman against Tekkaman... a fight to the finish!

Is this another one of your master's plans? Slade said suspiciously.

Darkon has _NOTHING_ to do with this! Now then... are you going to fight me... with _HONOR_? Or are you going be a coward and hide behind that evolved form of yours?

Slade growled and prepared to go at it again. His adrenaline level were reaching its peak, and Saber's taunts were pushing just the right buttons to make him become reckless.

It seemed that some parts of Ranma Saotome, his former self, were still buried deep within him. Now those traits were emerging as he charged.

----------

The Nirvana...

Hmmm... what is Slade doing? Magno asked as she watched the battle between the two rivals.

I've never seen him like this before. BC remarked as she also watched the fight. It's almost as if he's fighting as an entirely different person.

Yes, that may be the case.

What do you mean?

I've... been suspecting that Slade's lost past may be gradually returning. Remember that D-Boy has never been able to talk about his past, since he couldn't recall any details about it before becoming a Tekkaman. Now I've been noticing that his behavior has become more... shall we say, cruder? And that's starting to make him more reckless.

Are you saying that this lack of control is because it was a part of his former self?

Possibly. Let's just hope that this won't affect his better judgment. 

----------

Interesting toys. Lance commented as he observed the Mini-Dreads, while taking on Dita. 

The new fighters were capable of remote-controlled flight by their pilots and were giving covering fire for the other Dread Pilots. The three girls were currently engaging against Darkon's minions.

Yes, but they are nothing more, _BUT_ toys. Rapier added as she caught Jura's sword in a bind with her own.

And mere toys mean nothing against _US_! Axe emphasized as he forced Meia backward with his weapon. You were lucky the last couple of times, and now it's payback!

Jura, Meia and Dita found themselves in a tight spot as their opponents continued their ruthless assaults. Though they had gotten better under Slade's training, they also had a few handicaps. First of all, they had to watch themselves and make certain that none of their comrades were endangered by either their attacks or their foes'. Darkon's Tekkamen had no compunctions at firing at their own forces, and in several cases, destroyed some Spider-Crabs to get at their targets.

Secondly, though they did possess great powers, the girls' levels of endurance were far less than that of Axe, Rapier and Lance. They were still considered novices, and Darkon's forces were battle-hardened and more seasoned. And thirdly, Darkon's Tekkamen had learned from their mistakes and weren't giving their challengers a moment to rest.

Meia gritted her teeth as she barely blocked Axe's slash toward her head with her spear. She knew she couldn't compete against his brute power and the confines of the asteroid field gave her limited space to maneuver. Her battle tactics needed plenty of room to utilize her superior speed and mobility, but Axe wasn't going to give her a chance. He wasn't even giving her an opportunity to aim her energy darts or Volteeker, as he kept moving and never stayed in place long enough for her to take aim.

Rapier enjoyed matching each of Jura's moves and forcing her back. Her damaged face served to fuel her rage against her enemy. She would make certain that Jura paid for her disfigurement. Ruby managed to land a few hits, but the maddened Rapier ignored the cuts and returned them with hefty interest. Jura knew that she was in trouble if her foe wasn't going to stop for anything.

The battle between Dita and Lance was different from before as the red-haired stood up against him, rather than fleeing. However, this only served to amuse Lance as he easily blocked her attacks and countered with a ferocity that made Sapphire feel a chill down her spine.

As they girls started to lose more ground, they realized that they needed a breather, so each called for their Mini-Dread to assist them. The fighters received the cybernetic signals and dove down toward Darkon's agents.

However, Axe simply turned about and launched a sizzling crescent blast from his weapon, causing the fighter to veer off. He then turned back to the Nirvana's Tekkamen with a bit of a scornful laugh.

Do you really _BELIEVE_ those toys could do anything to us? How pathetic... _ERK!_

Before he could finish his taunt, a sudden energy bolt caught him in the back, driving him down. A moment later, several more energy bolts came raining down on his comrades as the three Mini-Dreads had circled about and attacked from a higher angle.

Meia and her friends took this opportunity to get some distance and rest a bit before going at it again. 

----------

Flashes of light streaked across space as Slade and Saber continued their lethal dance together.

Very good, Slade. Saber said teasingly as his right shoulder was nicked by Slade's lance. Maybe you haven't been slipping. It seems that you might _JUST_ be a challenge after all.

_SHUT UP!_ Slade snarled as he followed through with a slash, then another thrust.

The two had already exchanged hundreds of punches, kicks and weapon attacks in the last few minutes as both were reaching their utmost limits. Slade had so far taken more damage than Saber as he had not yet changed into his evolved form. Saber's earlier words had struck a chord deep within the former Saotome and he wanted to prove to that bastard that he could beat him, even without transforming into his penultimate stage.

However, as pride was clouding his judgment, Slade was unaware that Darkon's plan was about to complete its second stage. 

----------

Duero! Can you hear me? Are you all right? What's you're status? Barnette cried out as she tried to raise the physician on the tactical net. However, with all the interference, she couldn't contact him. As she blasted her way toward Rabat's ship, she put her Dread's sensors on full for any life signs aboard the derelict hulk. She became immensely relieved when she picked up Duero's bio-signature, but at a reduced level.

Then her threat alarms went off as her proximity sensors picked up something large and was about to collide with her fighter.

_Huh? Imminent collision? I don't see any... **WHOA!**_

From out of nowhere, several Spider-Crabs appeared in front of her Dread and latched themselves on the nose. A few more emerged from what appeared to be a cloaking field and attached themselves to her aft sections. Their claws and fangs sunk deep into her hull and began siphoning off her energy cells. Her console lights flickered wildly as power levels dropped at a rapid rate.

_Where the **HELL** did these things come from?!_ Barnette wondered as she fought to free her Dread from their clutches. However, she realized that it was a losing battle and she would have to eject. _Damn! Lost my second Dread in a week!_

Fortunately for her, she would not be defenseless once she abandoned her Dread.

After the creation of the Tekkasuit Prototype, Barnette had requested Parfet for one. It was stored within a compartment just below and behind her ejection pod. Pulling the lever, she was immediately catapulted out of her fighter. This time, when her space suit enveloped her, she disembarked from the pod as it jettisoned its cargo. The module below it expanded and opened up, revealing the Tekkasuit. The mecha opened up its outer frame, allowing her to enter it and activate its weapons system. Unlike the original Tekkasuit, this model was armed with two shoulder-mounted quantum cannons, plus twin blasters on each forearm. On each hip was a triple, mini-missile launcher. Her helmet possessed a pair of mini-guns for defense. In essence, her Tekkasuit was a walking artillery unit.

Using the advanced, multiple targeting system, she let loose with a barrage of quantum blasts, lasers and projectiles at her enemies. She made a beeline toward Rabat's ship, hoping to get to Duero. As she sped toward it, she saw her fighter being... dragged away?

_What the...? They're not destroying it? What would want with it?_

She didn't have any time to contemplate further as more Spider-Crabs began attacking her en masse. She continued to blast away at the seemingly endless numbers of monsters, filling that area of space with the innards of the beasts, but they kept on coming. It seemed like two would appear for each one that she destroyed. She lost track of time as found herself being swamped by the creatures. Then some warning lights of her Tekkasuit came on.

_Oh no! I'm running low on ammo!_

It was at that point, when she cursed herself for refusing Parfet's offer to arm her suit with a close-quarters weapon. The Dread pilot had opted for more firepower in exchange for a lack of a sword or even a knife. She began wishing for a Tarak Assault rifle and its bayonet. Once she was out of ammunition, she would be completely defenseless!

She kept on fighting, hoping to reach the physician before her guns ran dry. Unfortunately, a minute later, her weapons did just that. And once the Spider-Crabs realized that fact, they moved in for the coup de grace. Spitting out gelatinous ooze from their mouths, they started to coat the Tekkasuit from head to toe.

Barnette felt as if she was trying to swim though gelatin as her suit's servos strained to break her free. Her power levels began to fluctuate and soon, she was immobilized. One Spider-Crab took up her suit in its mandibles and began to carry her away.

Another Spider-Crab broke into Rabat's vessel and extracted the doctor from it. It followed its brethren as they began to retreat. 

----------

Jura cried out as witnessed her friend and the doctor being taken away.

Suddenly, Lance, Axe, and Rapier broke their attack and started to retreat.

What the...?! Meia gasped as she and her comrades watch the enemy in full retreat. 

----------

Saber growled as he received the mental command from Darkon to withdraw. He was not going to be cheated out of his victory against Slade, not now!

_Saber! You **WILL** return to base... **NOW**!_ Darkon commanded.

Saber growled again. Currently, he had Slade pinned against the carcass of a Spider-Crab and was in perfect position to destroy him. However, just as he was about to fire his Anti-Voltekker at point-blank range, he felt a stabbing pain in his skull, forcing him to break off and join the other Radam forces.

Slade was wondering why his foe was throwing away his chance to kill him and prepared to go after him.

Unfortunately, Darkon had other ideas as he let loose with the weapon to insure Saber and the others' escape.

The object that had been hidden from sight revealed itself. 

----------

The Nirvana...

I don't believe it! How could they have cloaked _THAT_ from our sensors?! BC gasped. The rest of the bridge crew were also shocked.

The thing had once been a Harvester flagship, but with Radam's takeover, it had been grotesquely mutated into an abomination. It looked more menacing than anything anyone had ever seen. The hull was more organic in appearance and it resembled some monstrous whale that was about to swallow everything in its path. Its front had a gaping maw that looked as if it could engulf a small moon. And now, it was ready to devour the crew of the Nirvana. (1)

It must have been hiding at the edge of asteroid field, where the electromagnetic pulses and solar flare interference are the most concentrated. Amarone announced then found out some more bad news. Captain! Energy readings are climbing! That thing is about to open fire on us!

_EVASIVE ACTION BART! NOW!_ Magno barked.

The Tarak navigator was already doing just that as he frantically worked the controls to get the Nirvana out of the way.

Just then, the monstrous vessel let loose with a torrent of energy. Anything that was in its path was instantly obliterated. Hordes of Spider-Crabs were reduced to subatomic particles in an instant, along with numerous asteroids and space debris. The Dreads and Tekkasuits barely managed to evade the wave of annihilation. And as for the Nirvana, it also avoided destruction, though it was violently rocked when the beam grazed its defensive shields, reducing their power by fifty-percent. The impact had also knocked out the ship's navigational systems, leaving it a sitting duck. 

----------

Slade! We've got to stop that thing! Jura cried out as she and the other Tekkamen regrouped.

But what about Mr. Doctor and Barnette? Dita said as she gestured to the retreating Radam forces. The physician and Dread pilot were taken aboard a Seed Ship, along with Darkon's minions. A moment later, the ship warped into hyperspace and disappeared.

We can't go after them now! Meia said in frustration. Slade! You have to transform!

I'll... try! The white Tekkaman gasped as he was still somewhat exhausted from his bout with Saber. However, as he began focusing his inner energy, his body trembled with unexplained pain and convulsions.

Slade! What's wrong? Jura said as the Radam weapon was readying to fire again.

I... can't... _ARGH!_ It.... hurts! 

----------

Parfet, though very upset over the loss of Duero and Barnette, kept her wits about her as she noted the situation from her own station and contacted Meia.

Meia! What's going on? Why hasn't Slade transformed?

I don't know! Meia replied. He's in great pain and...

Never mind that now! If he can't use his Mega-Voltekker, then you three are going to have to stop that thing!

Huh? But we don't have the kind of firepower to stop that thing!

Yes, you do! Parfet began entering certain codes into her console, sending out a special signal to the Mini-Dreads and the Tekkabot. Mini-Dreads! Pegas! Dual Battle Modes! 

----------

Pegas declared as it began to transform into its alternate state. At the same time, the Mini-Dreads also underwent a change in configuration. Dita's hooked up in front, while Jura and Meia's linked into Pegas' sides, forming a triangular platform. The energy amplifiers of the Tekkabot appeared as the Mini-Dreads also began emitting power fields.

The three Tekkamen understood the transformation and flew down toward the new machine. Dita took the forward position, while Meia and Jura took the two sides. Energy waves started to convalesce about them as they prepared to fire off their Voltekkers. 

----------

Slade gritted his teeth and bit down on the pain. He had to transform... now!

With supreme effort, Slade triggered the change to his penultimate form, Tekkaman Blastor. Immediately, he opened up his Voltekker Units and prepared to fire. 

----------

At that instant, the monstrous Radam warship let loose with another destructive blast, aimed directly at the Nirvana. The only thing between the pirate ship and total obliteration were Slade and his Tekkaman team.

Dita, Jura and Meia couldn't hold back any longer as their collective energies were primed. They let loose with their combined attack as they cried out in unison...

_TRIAD... SUPER-VOLTEKKER!_

A brilliant beam of red, blue and white hues was released and struck dead-on with the warship's attack. The two beams pushed at each other, trying to overpower each other in a contest of domination. The three girls found themselves being pushed to their limits as they struggled to hold back the Radam vessel's beam. If they were to let up for an instant, they would be completely overwhelmed and doomed to oblivion. However, as great as their new attack was, they were still human and the Radam flagship was a machine that would keep attacking until its or its target was destroyed. They needed more power...

They got it.

Slade let loose with his holocaust blast, which added to the girls' and pushed back the warship's. The resulting math was simple. Slade's Mega-Voltekker, plus the Triad Super-Voltekker, plus the backlash of energy from its own attack, equaled one massive feedback explosion with the warship's insides. The craft went up like gigantic roman candle, causing the entire sector to be engulfed in massive energy shockwaves.

Slade and the girls were hurled backward from the death of their opponent, but were quickly rescued by Gascogne's delivery ship as the pirates withdrew from the scene.

However, not all of them would be returning to the Nirvana... 

----------

One week later...

Slade groaned as he awoke from his bed within the Sick Bay. Standing around him were Jura, Meia, Dita, BC and Magno. At his side and taking his blood pressure with the pulse meter was Paiway.

Ah, D-Boy. It's good to have you back. We were beginning to worry that you'd never come around. Magno said solemnly.

Mr. Alien! Are you all right? The red-haired girl asked with much concern in her voice.

I... felt better... but I think I'll live. How... long I was out this time?

BC took a deep breath before answering. You were unconscious for almost seven days.

Seven days? He was taken by surprise by that fact. But... I usually recover within a day or two after transforming to my evolved state. I... must have been more hurt from fighting Saber than I thought.

Magno said slowly. However, there's still the question of why you had such difficulty in transforming. The girls told me that you had experienced extreme pain, and they saw you convulsing a bit.

I was just tired, that's all! Slade said quickly. I mean, ask the Doc... he can tell you that it's just fatigue. That's it.

Well, there's a bit of a problem with that because... we can't ask Duero. The elderly woman bowed her head sadly.

It was then that the last battle came back in Slade's mind. He grew more apprehensive as he looked around the Sick Bay, and noted that a certain someone was missing. He then turned to Paiway with a questioning gaze.

The nurse-in-training shook her head and gave him a helpless expression. 

----------

Within the engineering section of the ship, a certain bespectacled engineering genius was sobbing uncontrollably in her office.

She had failed.

Her greatest achievement, the Tekkasuit, had failed to protect the one who meant so much to her. Duero was gone, along with Barnette. It was most likely that she would never see either of them again. Her greatest rival for the physician's affections, would at least perish with him, while she would live on with the knowledge that she had not done her best to keep him safe. 

Parfet continued to cry... and cry... and cry some more... 

----------

Earth...

Saber smiled as the Seed Ship approached the former homeworld of the human race. Currently, he was in his human form. As the vessel docked with the outer edge of the mutated Space Ring, he decided to check up on his cargo.' 

Entering one section of the storage areas, he walked over to where a Tarak doctor was being restrained. He had been kept alive via suspension field, and was still in his deactivated Tekkasuit. The armor was held back by several tendrils, which was connected to a Tekkapod Matrix. Slade's opponent smirked as he touched a switch on a console and turned off the suspension field.

Duero slowly began coming around as a pair of tendrils removed his suit's helmet. When his vision cleared, he looked about, then saw a familiar face. What... where...? You!

Saber chuckled a bit. Well now. I wasn't expecting for you to remember me, Duero McFile. It was quite some time since we last met face to face.

As a doctor... I have a talent for remembering people. Duero admitted, then became a bit confused. Wait a minute. I don't recall introducing myself to you. How did you know my name?

Saber chuckled again as he accessed the console again and brought up Duero's file on a holographic display.

The Tarak doctor was quick to realize the situation. That's my personal file from the Nirvana's Sick Bay records. Then he put two and two together. So... you planted some kind of spy aboard the Nirvana during one of your attacks. And Rabats call for help was all a setup?

Correct. I slipped a little mole aboard Barnette's Dread, in which we used to download all of the personnel files and some certain secrets of the Nirvana.

Then... why didn't you use that information to destroy us? Why did you...?

... go through all the trouble of capturing you and that Dread pilot? Saber finished. When Duero nodded, the crimson Tekkaman smirked. Believe me, it wasn't my idea. However, you will understand, once you meet with Lord Darkon.

Oh yes. Our Lord and Master.... however...

However, you will not face him in imitation Tekkaman armor. Therefore, we shall provide you with the proper wardrobe.

With those words, he gave a silent nod to the Tekkapod Matrix. The living machine threw forth a large Tekkapod, which opened up like a Venus Flytrap. Duero was engulfed in an instant, giving him no time to even scream. In moments, the armor started to dissolve as the Tarak man struggled to free himself.

Saber shrugged his shoulders as he began to walk away toward the exit. He wasn't too concerned with the doctor's futile attempts to escape. Sooner or later, he'd come around.

Just as he the door started to close behind him, he called back to the still-struggling Nirvana healer.

I'll see you later... _RAZOR!_

----------

Sometime later, somewhere deep within the Earth, a certain Dread pilot started to come around. However, when she saw her surroundings, she began to wish she had remained unconscious.

The Dread pilot was strapped down to what looked like the doctor's surgical table on the Nirvana, but instead of a restraining field, her body was held by numerous, slimy tentacles. They seemed to come out from the tables foundation. The room she was in was dark and had seemed to have an evil aura emanating all over the place. The place was dimly lit by a few illumination lights, but she couldn't discern much from where she lay. There was just something so... malevolent about this room that made a continuous chill run down her spine.

Then she started to recall the battle and wondered if Duero was still alive. Her heart began to beat faster as concern for the physician grew. What had happened to him? Was he somewhere nearby? Is he all right? Just what was going on and where was she?

It was then that she heard an ominous chuckling and looked to her left. She saw a dark figure emerge from the shadows and approach her. Her eyes widened as the figure came to the side of the table and looked down at her.

Barnette Orangello... meet Darkon, the Supreme Warlord of the Radam.

Who... are you? Barnette gasped as she tried not to look away in fear at the murderous destroyer of the Harvesters. His presence seemed to give off a kind of darkness that spoke of nothing but death and destruction. His eyes glowed beneath his armored helm and seemed to burn into her soul. There was no compassion or mercy to be found in him. That much Barnette knew for certain.

Hmmmm... you'll do. Darkon said simply.

Yes, you'll do just perfectly... like your friend.

With those words, he waved his right hand and made a holographic display appear. The brunette's widened as she beheld an image of Duero.

The physician was naked and was curled up in a fetal position. He was inside what appeared to be an organic globe and suspended in some kind of fluid. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep. However, his face was in fixed, anguished expression, as if he was in constant pain. Lines of red light ran across his flesh, and she saw a dark blue-black light emanating from his forehead.

You... monster! What are you doing to him?! _LET HIM GO!_

Darkon chuckled again as he shut down the image and gazed down at her. I must admit, he put up quite a bit of resistance, but eventually he succumbed to the process.

Process? What process? She demanded as she continued to struggle against her bonds. The tentacles responded by tightening their grip.

The Warlord ignored her frustration and futile attempts to free herself. The process will be completed within a few days. He'll make an excellent Tekkaman.

What?! Tekkaman?! The female pirate stopped thrashing about when she heard his words.

Oh yes. He'll be powerful... and totally subservient to me... as _YOU_ will be!

_LIKE HELL!_ Barnette creamed as she started thrashing anew. 

Darkon began laughing at her defiance. Oh you will, Barnette Orangello. You most certainly will!

He pointed to her right side. A small, spherical growth emerged from the table's surface and burst open, sending icky pus flying. From within the tiny pod, a certain organism appeared and began making its way toward the top of the table... and Barnette's neck.

The girl began to have flashbacks to when that desert spider tried to bite her jugular. That time, Duero had saved her with his knife-throwing abilities, but she had no one to help her now.

The screams of the Dread Pilot echoed throughout the halls of the Radam headquarters, as she began her journey through darkness with no hope. 

----------

Somewhere in space, a small object was tumbling through the black, void. Within it, a certain former mercenary and traitor could only watch helplessly as he drifted aimlessly.

After the Radam had sprung their trap and achieved their goal, they had decided that Rabat had outlived his usefulness. As a result, he had been left to die. 

But, by a strange twist of fate, his suspension capsule had somehow survived the destruction of his craft and was now wandering about the cosmos. Where he would finally end up was all up to fate as the universe was not through with Rabat... just yet. 

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, this story is certainly taking a turn for the worse for our heroes as two of their group is now in the clutches of the Radam and Salde is feeling not himself. As for Darkon's latest scheme, well you'll just have to wait until part 2 to see what will happen.

(1) Remember the Doomsday Weapon from Star Trek? 


	18. Chapter 8, Part 2: Friend or Foe?

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this? I would think by now my readers would _KNOW_ that I don't own any of these characters.

: Thoughts

**Chapter 8**

**Part 2**

**Friend or Foe?**

The mood on the Nirvana had been downcast for the past few days after their latest battle with the forces of the Radam. The crew had endured everything the Harvesters could throw at them without losing any of their comrades. Now everything had changed. Two of their own were gone and their absence was felt throughout the ship. There was little hope that Barnette and Duero were still alive. The pirates and their male allies had to accept the fact that the two were most likely dead. Many had petitioned Magno to mount a rescue operation, but such an attempt was considered futile. They had no idea of where the Radam homeworld was, (it was suspected that it was the former Earth, but they didn't know its coordinates either), and the Radam vastly outnumbered them. The Dread pilot and the doctor were considered missing and presumed dead.

The Dread pilots had held a wake for their comrade Barnette. Her battle skills and determination would be sorely missed. Jura was especially despondent at the loss of her closest friend. Meia and Dita were also saddened and hoped that Barnette was in a better place and at peace.

As for Duero, his expertise as a physician was most certainly missed, especially in the Sick Bay. Patients who had been under his care were now forced to rely on his apprentice, Paiway. Nearly all of them hoped they would recover soon, instead of having to be treated by the inexperienced nurse.

As for the young healer, she began to _REALLY_ wish she had paid more attention to her lessons. Her patients were expecting the same level of expert care that Duero had given, but she felt that she was nowhere near ready to handle such responsibility. She had never been exposed to such suffering and injuries in all of her life and many times, she just wanted to shut herself in a closet and cry. However, she had developed a grudging respect for her Tarak mentor, and had steeled herself for the hard times that were certain to come in the near future.

In the engineering section, Parfet had also been in a funk ever since that last battle. In her mind, she saw Duero being taken from her, despite her greatest achievements, the Tekkasuits. She found it hard not to burst into tears every time she thought about it.

* * *

The Conference Room...

"I've tried to put this off as long as I can, but it seems that we must now make some decisions and plans." Magno announced as she, BC, Slade, and Meia sat around the table. "As much as I do not want to admit this, we must consider Duero and Barnette as lost to us."

"They could be still alive." Meia persisted, though she and the others were of the mind that their missing comrades were most likely gone forever.

Slade nodded in agreement. "There is a chance. After all, those Radam bastards went through an awful lot of trouble to take Duero and Barnette. It could be that they want to interrogate them or something."

"I have considered that possibility, but to be perfectly honest, I cannot believe that they would be allowed to live, after the Radam have gotten whatever they wanted from them." The pirate captain let off a tired, saddened sigh. Sometimes being in charge was a heavy burden, especially when one was responsible for every life on board the ship. "We must presume... that the good doctor and Barnette are gone and we must press on. So I have decided that we must make every effort to reach Tarak and Mejele, before our enemies do." She then turned to Slade. "And as for you D-Boy, there is still the question of your ability to continue fighting the enemy."

"What do you mean? I'm feeling fine."

"Are you certain? Lately, your battle performance has been less than effective. At times, you have been experiencing difficulties with your transformation to your evolved form."

"I'm just a little... tired, that's all."

"I'm not as confident as you are, D-Boy. We don't very much about your evolved Tekkaman form. In fact, we still aren't very knowledgeable in the Tekkaman Power Process itself. With Duero gone and Parfet working overtime to keep our defenses up, we can't study the process and find out more about it. If your problems begin to increase..."

"They won't!" Slade insisted. "I can handle it!"

"Hmmm, for the time being... I hope you can. Who knows what our enemies are planning next?"

* * *

The Earth...

Darkon nodded as his newest weapons were presented to him. It had taken much resources, but the end result was more than worth the effort.

Two figures stood before him in his throne room. One was a tall, slender man with long, black hair. One side of his face was covered by a tress of hair. His body was well-sculpted like a well-trained gymnast's with a lean, but powerful musculature. His expression was cold, and calculating as the one visible eye seemed emanate a kind of soulless void.

His comrade was a beautiful, slender female with short, dark hair. Her figure was athletic and well-curved in all the right places. However, she too, seemed to show no emotion whatsoever and followed only her master's bidding.

Both were dressed in simple, utilitarian clothes and remained at perfect attention as Darkon began giving them their orders.

The Radam Warlord gestured toward a vid-screen and showed them the coordinates of their target.

"Razor... Gunner... destroy the Nirvana... at any cost!"

* * *

Darkon and Saber watched as the high-speed transport flew off into hyperspace.

"Do you think they will be able to destroy those females and Slade... Master?" Saber asked.

"Whether they succeed or not, matters little to me." The Radam Warlord answered simply.

"What?!" The Crimson Tekkaman became very confused at this point. "We went through a considerable amount of trouble to get these two, not to mention expend much energy and resources to create these agents. Why do you not care if they succeed in their mission to destroy our enemies?"

"Because, my dear Saber, my plans far outstrip your _MINOR_ way of thinking. You are thinking far too small. Destroying the Nirvana and Slade _IS_ an important goal, but _ONLY_ one of many. Furthermore, obliterating them utterly is far too simple. I intend to _SAVOR_ every moment of anguish and agony from Slade and his comrades. This little exercise is to test out his resolve and see just how _FAR_ he will go to protect his allies... even if it means destroying those who were once his friends."

"Those pirates and that renegade Tekkaman may be able to defeat Gunnar and Razor, despite their new... talents."

"Perhaps, but think about it. If Razor and Gunner succeed, then we win. IF they fail and are destroyed, we _STILL_ win a psychological victory and the morale of the Nirvana will be diminished. I would also like to gauge the effectiveness of our new weapon. One may not be enough, but it _WILL_ hurt them, regardless. And we can _ALWAYS_ make more..."

* * *

A few days later...

Slade and the three Nirvana Tekkamen were scouting ahead of the Nirvana, along with several Dreads and Vanguards. Though the pain of loss of their comrades was still fresh in everyone's hearts, they all pressed on. Duero and Barnette would have wanted them to carry on with their lives.

Jura sighed as she piloted her Mini-Dread alongside Dita and Meia's. She thought back to the wake that the crew had thrown for the good doctor and her childhood friend. It had been a somber affair, though everyone tried to make light of the event, recalling all the good and humorous times they had with the gun-loving pilot and the Tarak doctor.

The blonde was close to shedding tears and ruining her mascara, when her Mini-Dread's sensor alarms went off.

The scouting group stopped as they began to pick up the telltale energy emissions of something that was emerging from hyperspace. Everyone was put on tactical alert as Meia contacted the Nirvana. As the pirate vessel came close to where Slade and the others were positioned, a small object emerged into reality. At that point, Gascogne decided to head out in her Supply Ship to lend a hand, of the others needed backup.

The guns of the Nirvana immediately trained on the vessel, as did the pirates and Slade. When they saw the modified Seed Ship, they were all set to blast into oblivion. It would be a minor victory, but it would be at least something to lesson the pain of losing their friends. This Radam drone was space dust!

It was then that the Seed Ship opened up and released... a Dread.

Jura immediately let off a whoop of joy as she recognized the markings on the fighter and received Barnette's recognition code on her communication systems. Her heart skipped a beat as she and everyone else heard two familiar voices."

"Barnette to Nirvana. Barnette to Nirvana. Request permission to come aboard."

"The doctor... is in."

At this point, the crew became extremely excited at the return of two people whom they had assumed were lost to them.

"_BARNETTE'S BACK! SO'S THE DOC!_"

"_THEY'RE ALIVE!_"

"_WELCOME BACK!_"

"_HOORAY!_"

Slade and the three female Tekkament sped ahead of the rest of the scouting group and headed toward the Dread, eager to be the first to greet their comrades.

That was when all Hell broke loose.

* * *

Inside the cockpit, Duero McFile sat behind Barnette and held up a blue-black crystal that was shaped like a five-pointed star. His expression became colder as he uttered a single word.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

Then Barnette began firing on her friends.

* * *

"_WHAT THE...?!_"

Jura barely managed to swerve her Mini-Dread out of the way as Barnette's fighter began attacking the Dread and Vanguard Squadrons. To her horror, she saw her best friend pick off the others with methodical precision and absolute ruthlessness. What had gotten into her?

Then a flare of light blasted forth from the cockpit as a figure shot into space like a comet. She gasped as she recognized the person, as did the other members of the Nirvana crew.

Duero was immediately stripped of his clothes as the Tekkaman Power Process took effect. Lines of red appeared all over his body as he was infused with power. Sections of impenetrable armor appeared and merged with his flesh. His form became a living weapon as he was transformed. Then, with a final burst of light, the change was complete.

The blue-black armored figured looked like he was composed of hundreds of blades. Every part of him looked as if it could slice through virtually anything. He emitted a kind of lethality that sent shivers down everyone's spine, the kind in which one would feel when facing the executioner's axe or the guillotine. He had pointed epaulets and sharp-toed boots and gauntlets. His helmet was angled and the visor displayed only one glowing eye.

Slade was the first to reach the transformed doctor and he came to a stop some fifty yards from him. He couldn't believe what had happened and knew that things were about to get ugly. Still, he had to try and reach Duero's humanity, before it was too late.

"Doc?"

However, the new Tekkaman was not listening as he shook his head and replied.

"I am... _RAZOR!_"

He then burst forward in a nimbus of light. Though Slade was able to dodge the charge, the White Tekkaman still screamed out in pain as something white-hot cut into his abdominal armor. Looking down, he was shocked to see a huge gash appear.

_No! He **CUT** me! He didn't even touch me, but he still sliced into my armor!_

Then Razor turned about to attack again.

* * *

"Barnette! What are you doing?!"

"Stop it! We're your friends!"

"Don't you recognize us?!"

Jura, Dita and Meia's pleas fell on deaf ears as Barnette shook her head and pressed a button on her mutated console.

"I recognize you... as my targets! Feel the power of Dread Gunner!"

Her fighter then underwent its own metamorphosis. Its smooth, metal surfaces became rougher and more organic-looking. The front of her Dread became like the mandibles of a Spider-Crab and the wings took on a more insectlike appearance. Her craft became even more maneuverable and released a mind-boggling barrage of firepower, which made even the most-heavily armed Dread seem like nothing. Pirate fighters and Vanguards were taken out at an alarming rate and the three Dread Tekkamen knew that they would have to use force to take their former comrades down.

However, Barnette was already aware of all of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the Dread and Vanguard tactics. Using this knowledge, she continued to decimate the squadrons, while at the same time, evading the Mini-Dreads and the Nirvana's guns. Then, she turned her attention toward a key component to the defense forces, namely Gascogne's Supply Ship.

Destroy the supply line and you can cripple your opponent.

* * *

Gascogne worked frantically at the controls as she tried her best to defend herself from Barnette's assault. The Supply Craft was not suited for combat and had minimal weaponry available. She had the defensive barrier at full as she made a beeline back toward the Nirvana. However, Dread Gunner relentlessly attacked, causing the Supply Craft's shields to be pushed to their limits. Then, just as Gascogne was within range of the Nirvana's protective defensive screens, her own barrier gave out, leaving her totally exposed to the merciless Radam pilot.

Dread Gunner fired a barrage of plasma missiles that looked like organic blobs. When they impacted against the hull of Gasco's ship, they melted through the reinforced metal skin before exploding. The ship was rocked by the hits and was sent tumbling uncontrollably.

All those present could only watch in horror as Dread Gunner prepared to finish her off. With no hesitation, she let loose with one final, lethal barrage.

On the bridge of the crippled vessel, a battered and bloodied Gascogne could only look on helplessly at her main viewscreen as the plasma missiles streaked toward her. Then she saw three bolts of colored light appear between her ship and her executioner's.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

Tekkaman Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire managed to transform and get in front of the missiles, just as they detonated. Their armor shuddered as they took the brunt of the massive blasts, but some of that destructive energy got through and struck the Supply Ship. Gascogne screamed out as the control panel exploded in front of her. Fragments of glass, metal and other debris went flying about in the bridge like shrapnel. Her broken body was thrown backward and hit the floor with a sickening thud. Then her form became limp as her consciousness plunged into darkness and blood began to pool on the floor.

* * *

"_MS. GASCO!_" Dita cried out as she and the others watched the Supply Craft become a lifeless mass of space debris. She tried desperately to raise her on the tactical net, but there was no response. She began to fear for the worst.

With her enemies in a state of shock, Barnette took this opportunity to flee the scene and rendezvous with her partner, who was currently slicing up his opponent. It was time to fulfill their main objective.

* * *

"_DOC! COME ON! SNAP OUT OF IT!_" Slade cried out as he grappled with Razor. It had not been easy as any physical contact with the new Tekkaman would cut into him. It was like trying to grasp a knife collection by the blades! He had already received several cuts and gashes as he and his foe continued to battle it out.

Duero's transformation to cosmic warrior had enhanced his strongest qualities, namely his surgical techniques and knowledge of the human form, making him a more effective killing machine. Every slash, every chop, every attack was aimed to be lethal and precise, delivering the greatest amount of damage with the least amount of effort. And the fact that he had trained previously with Slade in hand-to-hand combat didn't help matters!

Slade knew that he couldn't hold back and had to fight with full strength against his former friend. He had never killed before, but now, there may not be any other option. If Duero was truly lost and could not be reasoned with, then... he would have to be destroyed.

The White Tekkaman was about to counterattack, but was taken by surprise as trio of energy beams struck him in the back. Razor took advantage of this and kicked hard at Slade's chest, making another gash to appear. Then he... flew away?

* * *

"What are they doing?" BC asked as she and the rest of the bridge crew watched the main viewer on the Nirvana. It seemed that the two Radam fighters were flying in a synchronized formation.

Magno felt a cold shiver run down her ancient spine as she began to suspect that things were about to be at their worst.

_No! This looks... familiar. They couldn't be...?_

* * *

But they were.

A compartment behind Barnette's cockpit opened up, allowing Razor to enter the mutated Dread. It's overall form began to shift and contort as it assumed a new configuration. The fighter took on a more humanoid appearance as arms and legs appeared. Weapons and new armor formed over the body, making it look even more menacing. Finally, when the transformation was completed, the pirates could only stare in disbelief as they now were facing off against a ten-story monstrosity.

Tekkadread Carnage was born!

The Radam horror paused only for the briefest of moments, before heading straight for its prey, the Nirvana.

* * *

"Shields at maximum! Brace for impact!" Magno barked as Tekkadread Carnage came right at them.

The vessel shuddered as the Radam's newest weapon hit the shields head on and began pushing the energy barrier to its limits. Using its massive claws and blade implements, Tekkadread Carnage started slashing away. Within seconds, the multi-layered shields gave out one by one. The entire ship shuddered as the Tekkadread continued to mercilessly assault the pirates.

"_AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!_" Bart screamed as the cybernetic linkup caused him to feel the impacts and damage the Nirvana suffered, as Tekkadread Carnage relentlessly tore into its defenses. He desperately tried to fight back, but the interface caused him so much pain, that he couldn't bring the ship's guns to bear.

Then the Nirvana's final barriers collapsed, leaving the ship completely vulnerable. Tekkadread Carnage started to rip into the hull, near the engineering sections. It intended to tear out the heart of the vessel, the Paksis. At this point, Bart was in such pain that he could no longer maintain the link and was rendered unconscious, leaving the Nirvana completely helpless.

* * *

"Hull breached near the engineering levels! Bulkheads will collapse in minutes!"

"Casualty reports coming in! Massive decompression in several sections! They're being closed off, but structural integrity down by twenty percent!"

Magno was in a state of shock as the ship was being picked apart. She knew that if the Paksis was destroyed, all would be lost. The remaining Dread and Vangaurds tried to force the Tekkadread away, but the Radam monster continued to rip into the Nirvana. Even Slade and the other Tekkamen were unable to stop its merciless assault and she began to consider giving the command to abandon ship.

* * *

In the engineering section, Parfet ordered her staff to remain at their stations as she worked desperately to maintain the structural fields to protect the power source of the Nirvana. She noted that the Paksis was flashing wildly in response to the attack and energy levels were fluctuating wildly. She be began to wonder if the crystal was more than just an energy generator, and remembered back to when she had told Duero that the Paksis was acting like a living thing.

Then, as the Tekkadread was about to rend its way into the inner, more vital sections of the ship, the Paksis let loose with a massive energy field and to the engineer, it sounded as if it were crying out in anguish and pain.

* * *

_I'm sorry Doc... you too, Barnette... but I've got to stop you!_

Slade saw that he had no choice as he rode Pegas' back toward the Nirvana. The Tekkabot began shifting into its Dual Battle Mode. As the shoulder plates opened up and he began focusing his energy, the Mini-Dreads came alongside Pegas and attached themselves. Dita, Meia and Jura took their positions and also began charging their Voltekkers. Slade didn't want to risk using his Mega-Voltekker and destroying the Nirvana. He hoped that their combined blasts would be enough to stop Tekkadread Carnage. Quantum energies were primed and ready to fire as the quartet prepared to execute two of their closest friends.

However, as their Voltekkers energy levels peaked, another player in this drama decided to take action. The Paksis within the Nirvana could stand no more of the attack and flared like never before. In an instant, Tekkadread Carnage stopped in its assault on the Nirvana and became motionless. A moment later, a blast of energy shot forth from the heart of the pirate vessel and caused the monstrous machine to shudder. To the amazement of everyone present, in a flash of light, the Radam weapon separated into its two components. Both Dread and Tekkaman went tumbling away into space.

Slade and the other Tekkamen took this opportunity to take down Barnette and Duello. Fortunately for them, the two agents of Darkon had been rendered unconsciousness and did not offer any resistance as they approached their immobile forms.

It was finally over... or so it seemed.

* * *

Later...

"Careful." Parfait warned as her engineering crew began opening up the hatch to Barnette's transformed Dread. Though her instruments were not picking up any conscious activity from the pilot, she wasn't taking any chances. A couple of guards had their blasters aimed at the cockpit.

When the hatch was opened, everyone held their breath and waited. One of Parfait's staff members looked inside and saw... Barnette.

The brunette looked the same as she did when she had been captured by the Radam. The only difference was that she was wearing a plain, black bodysuit, instead of her usual garb. She was sitting in the pilot's seat and did not seem threatening. The engineer thought it was safe and reached for the safety harness to free the pilot of the fighter.

Then suddenly, Barnette's eyes snapped open and she shot out a hand to clamp down on the girl's throat. Inhuman strength began to flow into her arm, threatening to crush her victim's throat as if she was crumpling a wad of paper.

* * *

**_WHAM!_**

Slade was sent flying as Duero knocked him across the length of the hallway.

The White Tekkaman and his comrades had just brought in the unconscious Razor into a separate airlock. The transformed doctor had automatically transformed back into his human form and it seemed that it would be no problem to bring him to the Sick Bay. Then they found out that McFile had been playing possum and was not wreaking havoc inside the already damaged vessel.

Slade gritted his teeth as he got back to his feet and ran toward the doctor. Currently, it was taking the combined efforts of Jura, Meia and Dita to hold him down. Duero thrashed wildly and was about to break free, when Slade charged in and powered up his right fist. Cocking it back, he paused slightly and said...

"Sorry about this, Doc."

He then saw a flash light near the physician's hand, and in that instant, let his fist fly.

"_TEKSETT..._"

**_WHA-BOOOM!_**

Duero was knocked out cold as his Tekkacrystal fell out of hand and clattered to the floor.

* * *

At the same time, Barnette's head jerked back at the force of the impact and she toppled to the floor. Her grip on the engineer's neck loosened and the girl gasped as she fell free and scrambled away.

The guards directed their weapons at the inert body of their former comrade. They were about to open fire, when Parfait called out to them.

"Please! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

The guards held their fire, but kept the muzzle of their rifles leveled at the body of Barnette and waited.

However, at this point in time, it was no longer necessary. With her Radam partner out of action, the empathic bond caused her body to also become insensate.

Now, it was over.

* * *

Much later...

"What did those bastards do to them?" Magno said as she looked at the bio-scanner readouts of both Duero and Barnette as they lay on the examination tables in the Sick Bay. Both were heavily strapped down to prevent them from getting up, should they regain consciousness. They were also pumped with strong sedatives to keep them harmless.

Nearby, in a full-stasis pod, was the injured Gascongne. The retrieval crews had gotten to her in the nick of time. The wounds she had suffered during the attack had been near-fatal, and Paiway had barely managed to get the head supplier into the life-support capsule. Her injuries were far too grave to attempt any kind of surgery. Paiway hoped that the hibernation would keep her friend in stable condition for her body to heal enough so that she could be treated later on. At this point, she really began to wish she had listened to Duero's lessons more attentively as she was now being presented with a new problem.

"It looks like Duero's been put through the Tekkaman Power Process." Slade commented as he looked over the readouts, which similar to what his own would be. He then glanced at Barnette's readings. "I wonder why the Radam didn't do the same to Barnette? I can see that she got some enhancements, but she can't transform like the Doc."

"Her Dread was altered though." BC pointed out. "It could be that the Radam were experimenting on making their own Tekkadreads. Considering what just happened, I'd say that they succeeded."

"Hey, what's that?" Jura asked as she pointed to the bio-scanner monitor. It was an area near the base of the neck of her former friend. Everyone gathered closely to look at the strange organism that seemed to have its body clamped onto her spine. The scanners also displayed a similar creature in Duro's body.

Paiway gasped as she looked at the readouts. "It's some kind of... parasites. Ewww, that's so gross!"

"Parasite?" Magno wondered then inquired, "Could those things be responsible? Is that what made the doctor and Barnette attack the Nirvana?"

"I... think so." The young nurse-in-training said tentatively as she read the scanner results. "It looks like they're transmitting some kind of electrochemical stimulants into their brains, specifically their higher-thinking processes. Those... things are pretty secured in their medulla oblongata, which makes it really hard to get rid of."

Magno nodded, though she did not understand the subtle complexities, but comprehended the overall situation. Then, she made a hard decision.

"Paiway... can you remove those things?"

"_WHAT?!?!?!_"

* * *

The Conference Room...

"Captain... you can't expect me to do this, do you?"

Paiway sobbed as she had been told that unless the parasitic implants were removed from both Duero and Barnette, the two would definitely attack the Nirvana's crew again, once they regained consciousness. Barnette had already put several of her former comrades into intensive care, after she had been forced out of her transformed Dread. Despite her lack of Tekkaman armor, she had been granted enhanced strength, reflexes and endurance from Darkon's tampering with her body's cells. As for Duero, he had given Slade, Dita, Meia and Jura a run of their money, and nearly decimated two Dread squadrons. The Warrior Squadron had taken the brunt of his attacks and was currently out of action. Nobody on the Nirvana wanted to even consider what would happen, if the two were allowed to combine into Tekkadread Carnage again. With friends like these, who _NEEDED_ enemies?

However, the only method to solve their problems, had been compounded with several obstacles. The first being that Paiway was not at all eager to perform such advanced surgery. She had been given the knowledge from Duero, but she had no experience prior to his capture and brainwashing. She was uncomfortable enough with minor incisions and setting broken bones. The Radam parasites that kept Duero and Barnette loyal to Darkon, were firmly latched onto their brain stems, near the medulla oblongata, and the young girl definitely did not want to mess with their vital autonomic systems. Furthermore, if what the Cerebral Wave Scanner was telling her was correct, the two were sharing a kind of empathic bond. This allowed them to function as one, and react to each other's synaptic responses. In other words, whatever pains one would feel, the other would share. If she were to operate on one and make a mistake, the other would most likely perish as well.

On twin operating tables and under heavy sedation, the Tarak physician and the Dread pilot lay in deep comatose states. They were of no danger to the Nirvana at the moment, but everyone in the Sick Bay knew that they couldn't keep them under forever. Already, Duero's enhanced metabolism was working to neutralize the chemicals, which kept him from regaining consciousness. Luckily, thanks to his bond with Barnette, they only had to keep him from coming around. As long as he was out, Barnette would also remain under control. However, time was limited and Paiway had to take action, as she was the only one with the knowledge and skills to perform the delicate removal of the implants.

_I don't want to do this! I don't want to do this!_

At that point, Magno put a concerned hand on Paiway's shoulder and patted it. She then took the sobbing girl into her arms and gave her a reassuring hug. As Paiway continued to weep, she spoke to her quietly.

"Paiway, I know you're scared. We all are. But you're the only one who can save Barnette and Duero."

"I... (sob)... can't! I just..."

"Yes, you can." Magno said firmly. "I believe in you, and so did Duero."

This statement caused the little girl's head to perk up. "H-H-He did?" She then began remembering back to all the times that Duero had chastised her for inappropriate behavior, and how harsh he became whenever he drilled her in medical protocol and techniques. Very rarely, did he ever praise her whenever she did something correctly. But he was always ready to point out her mistakes. It was hard for the twelve-year-old to believe that Duero ever considered her as medic material.

Magno gave her a knowing smile. "Yes, I know that Duero can be harsh and cold at times. However, he has a good heart and he wouldn't have spent so much time training you, if he didn't believe that you had the potential."

Paiway sniffled a bit. "He never showed it and he didn't say much whenever I did things right."

"Yes, well showing emotions is difficult for him, and at times, he can be quite blunt with his opinions. He can be a cruel taskmaster and annoying perfectionist as well. I've heard of how ruthlessly he drilled the Dread and Vanguard teams in Emergency First Aid. But always keep in mind that he only wants things to be done correctly so that others will not suffer. If there's one thing that Duero can be counted on, is that he is dedicated to his position as our doctor, and he wants everyone, especially you to achieve her full potential."

"Me?"

"Of course. Why else had he been the hardest on you? You may have not realized it at the time, but Duero made certain that you got all the help that he could give to you. He wanted you to succeed and if that meant he had to constantly run you through the gauntlet, then so be it. He knew about the unpleasant parts of his station and he wanted you to understand them as well. You can't ignore them or try to hide from them. You have to face up to them, because they are part of Duero's and your duty. If you don't face up to them, then who will save our friends and loved ones?"

"But..."

"I know that you are scared and it's natural. However, let me tell you this. There's another reason why Duero had been training you so harshly. He told me about it before he had been captured. It's because he knew in his heart, that he might not be with us forever. When we finally reach Mejele, there is a chance that he will be forced to leave the Nirvana. He wanted to make certain that his successor would be able to take over his station, once he is gone. He had chosen you, as you had the most promise."

"He did?"

"Yes. He's helped us all, especially you during this voyage. Now, will you help him?"

Paiway could only stand in silence as a grave decision remained in front of her.

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Wow. It's been a while, but I finally got a move on to finish this story and my other fics as well. In the next chapter, Slade and the others must wait and wonder as Paiway must operate in order to save Barnette and Duero. More deeper conflicts and emotions will run as the Nirvana nears its ultimate destination. See you there.


	19. Chapter 8, Part 3: Final Exam

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Ranma, Vandread and Tekkaman Blade all belong to their respective owners, so why bother me about it?

: Thoughts

**Chapter 8**

**Part 3**

**Final Exam**

The Radam Homeworld, formally the Harvesters Planet and once the Earth...

"Tekkadread Carnage has failed!" Saber said in disgust as he and Darkon were informed of the results of their latest experiment. "All of those resources and the trouble it took to capture those two! What a waste!"

Darkon chuckled as he said, "A waste? I wouldn't say that. I'd say that the experiment was quite a success."

"Success?" The crimson Tekkaman said incredulously. "Razor and Gunner had failed in their attack against Slade and the Nirvana!"

"The destruction of our enemies, though it is one of our ultimate goals, was not the point of sending them against their former comrades. The results of this battle has provided us with some important information, especially about the Radam Power source which drives their vessel. Now, we can use what we have learned to create a more perfect weapon to use against them. We already have the capability to create more Tekkadreads. The Nirvana was nearly destroyed by Carnage. Now, think of the possibilities of more than one Tekkadread, hmmm?"

----------

The Nirvana...

Paiway gulped as she knew that she couldn't put it off any longer. Taking a deep breath, she donned clothing which had the insignia of the Tarak Medical Corps. It was a feminine version of Duero's bodysuit and trenchcoat, which she had the Supply Station made for her. She had decided to honor her mentor by wearing his uniform. After all, she was about to perform a complex and potentially dangerous operation, on the same person who had taught her the surgical techniques needed to free him from Darkon's control. However, if she failed, both he and Barnette would remain as slaves to the Radam or worse, die from the attempt.

Surprisingly, when she had asked for a volunteer to aid her in the surgery, nearly all of the members of the Supply, Dread, Vanguard and Bridge personnel stepped forward. Despite the fact that Barnette and Duero had nearly destroyed everyone aboard the ship, all wanted to help in bringing back their friends.

In the end, Paiway accepted Buzom as her surgical aid. She was somewhat surprised when the First Officer had informed her that she was familiar with Tarak surgical procedures, but assumed that as a former elite spy of Mejele, her expertise would be vital. However, a small part of her wondered if BC was hiding something.

Paiway was _NOT_ looking forward to this, but there was no other way. The Radam parasites were too firmly entrenched in her patients' brain stems and even Mejele medical technology was not up to the task of removing them. They would have to be removed physically and that would require precise sectioning and excision, while keeping the patients' vital signs stable. The most Paiway had ever removed was a wart off a crewmember's posterior, and even now that patient had trouble sitting down.

The young girl took another deep breath and entered the operating room. She nodded to Buzom as she stood between two tables. Strapped facedown and under heavy sedation were Barnette and Duero. Right beside the tables were twin trays of carefully arranged surgical instruments, sterilized and ready for use. Pulse monitors and other life-support devices monitored the bio-systems of both patients as Paiway said a quiet Mejele prayer and the operation commenced.

Paiway had decided to start on Barnette's parasite as hers wasn't as entangled in her central nervous system as Duero's. She also needed to observe how her empathic bond would affect the newly-created Tekkaman, as the Cerebral Scanners had revealed that the two were psychically linked.

She gave BC a nod and said, "Beginning initial incision. I need a Number Two Laser Scalpel."

----------

Outside of the Sick Bay, Slade and the others waited in silence as they all gazed at the red light above the operating room's door. It was like some angry red eye that glared down at them and warned them that no interruptions would be tolerated. Though everyone wanted to help, the only thing they could do was wait and pray.

----------

Paiway fought the urge to throw up as she peeled away the muscle and connective tissue. She couldn't believe that she was actually cutting into a friend in order to save her. She kept focused as she gently probed around for her target. Blood and precious fluids were continually pumped and cycled through Barnette's body to keep her vital signs at a controlled level. So far, there had been no reaction and she hoped it would stay that way.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she came across what she was looking for. The enlarged lump was most definitely not a normal feature of human anatomy. It pulsed and throbbed like a grotesque miniature heart, and she could tell that it was leeching off Barnette's systems to survive. The monitors displayed the parasite's underside firmly entangled with the various nerves of the spinal cord and medulla oblongata. She had to be extremely careful as she asked for a probe in order to determine the nature of the attachments.

Buzom nodded as she handed Paiway a Number Six Micro-Probe. So far, Duero's apprentice was doing everything right.

----------

On the bridge, Magno began to think that this was the longest day in their journey back to Mejele and Tarak. Two lives hung in the balance and it all depended on an untried medical apprentice. However, she kept up her hopes that everything would turn out fine.

----------

Paiway stopped suddenly as the pulse monitor's readouts began to accelerate. The parasite was not going to be easily evicted from its home in Barnette's body. It was fighting back at her ministrations. She also noticed that Duero's life signs were also becoming elevated. However, she knew that she couldn't halt the operation at this point and made the choice to press on. Their life signs were still in the acceptable ranges so Paiway asked for a Number Four Laser Scalpel and started to cut away at the parasite's attachments.

----------

"I can't stand it!" Jura complained as she paced the floor of the waiting room. "How much longer can we stay and do nothing?"

"As long as it takes, Jura." Slade replied. "Sit down."

"Slade's right." Meia agreed. "It's not like we can do anything. It's all up to Paiway and the Commander."

"Don't worry Jura! Everything will work out." Dita said with optimism.

Jura continued to pace as she did not share her comrade's happy outlook.

----------

_Finally!_

Paiway let off a sigh of relief as Barnette was freed from the parasite's hold. She had literally cut the organism to bits before it was at last removed. The thing had threatened to upset the patient's vital autonomic functions, but she had managed to bypass its attempts and got it out. The little monster lay on the dissection tray in several sections and was being preserved in fluids for later study. After making certain that Barnette's vital signs were still in controllable ranges, she looked toward her other patient.

Now, came the hard part.

----------

Much later...

Paiway gritted her teeth, as she asked for her assistant to hand her a Number Nine Laser Scalpel. The operation had been going on for several hours, but she was nearing her goal. As she carefully sectioned off the last of the parasite's entanglement with Duero's brain stem, her brow beaded with a constant sheen of sweat. Her assistant constantly sponged her brow. This was the most critical part of the operation. Though Barnette's parasite had already been removed, she still maintained her empathic bond with Duero. If Paiway were to cut even a millimeter off her intended target, then both her patients would immediately go into fatal cerebral seizures. Already, their life signs were dangerously low, and she had to complete the procedure and stabilize their conditions before it was too late.

_I'm almost there!_ Paiway thought as she started cutting away the parasite and sealing off nerve clusters. The Radam implant was proving to be more stubborn than Barnette's, and began increasing pressure on the doctor's vital autonomic center. His body started to twitch and spasm. The restraints on the table automatically tightened to hold him down, but when the Pulse Meter began to give off warning sounds, the young medical trainee started to panic. Barnette and Duero's heart rates were beating erratically and breathing was shallow.

_No! I've got to do this!_ Paiway steeled herself as she continued to extract the second parasite. In less than a minute, the Pulse Meter was emitting critical signals as both patients showed signs of anaphylactic shock. With only seconds left, Paiway shunted off the last crucial artery. The Radam organism was pulled free and tossed onto the dissection tray. It squirmed a bit, then tried to scamper back to Duero's neck to reattach itself, but the young girl was not going to give it a chance.

_Oh no, you don't!_

Using one of Duero's implements from his Tarak medical bag, she swiped at it and impaled the thing on the tip of the blade. She then stabbed down onto the tray, skewering the parasite through its main body. The organism let off a pitiful whine and struggled futilely for a few seconds before finally going limp.

As she left the scalpel sticking in the tray, she immediately turned back to Duero and Barnette. Her eyes widened as the Pulse Meter readings skyrocketed. Her own heart rate accelerated as she and her aide watched the readings redline. The Life Support devices began injecting large amounts of stimulants into them, to try and stabilize their conditions.

_Please Duero! Barnette! I've done all I can! I believe in my patients' will to live!_ Paiway thought as she remembered what Duero had told her to do in situations like this.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, their life signs dropped down and leveled off into the lower normal ranges. Their ordeal and Paiway's was over.

----------

There was a feeling of relief and joy as the news of the operation's success spread through the ship. On the bridge, Magno smiled as she mentally thanked the goddesses of Mejele.

----------

After several more hours, Paiway's patients were now resting peacefully and she decided to check on them. As she entered the recovery room, she found that Barnette was slumbering quietly, but Duero had already regained consciousness. The Tarak physician smiled at his visitor and weakly nodded to her.

"Hello Paiway."

For the first time since her apprenticeship, the young healer was seeing a more tender side to her instructor. The smile put her at ease as she approached him.

"Hello... Doctor... is everything all right?"

"Hmmm, I am feeling a touch of soreness at the base of my neck and a slight headache, but all things considered, I believe that I will recover."

"Uh... that's good. I can have some more painkillers put in..."

"That's quite all right. The minor discomfort I am feeling now is manageable and considering all that you've done, it is a small price to pay. The Commander had informed me that you had to perform a dual cerebral bypass and arterial shunts. I'm impressed."

"Uh... yeah. I'm afraid that you will have a bit of a scar on the back of your neck. Barnette won't have one, but your implant was harder to remove and..."

"That's quite all right. We men of Tarak are used to such things. Consider this scar as your diploma in Class A surgery. Congratulations Paiway."

The young healer blushed furiously at the praise. Then she thought back to all the work she had done. None of that would have been possible if Duero hadn't constantly pushed her. Now she could truly call herself as a medical officer. And it was all thanks to her patient and mentor.

"Uhmmm... there's something I wanted to tell you." Paiway said as she stood at Duero's beside.

"Oh, and what is it?" The physician asked as Barnette slept peacefully nearby.

"About... all the things you said to me before you got captured. And how I complained about the training, how hard you were to please, and stuff like that..."

"Go on..."

"Well, I just want to say that after all the stuff that you put me through..."

"Yes?"

Paiway twiddled her fingers for a long while, then got up her nerve. She leaned forward and kissed Duero on the right cheek. This of course, surprised the recovering healer, as he touched the spot where she had pressed her lips against, with his hand.

Paiway was blushing furiously as she turned and headed out of the Recovery Room. Before she exited, she called to him without looking back.

"Thank you."

----------

After Paiway had left the Recovery Room, the Tarak physician reached behind his neck and gently caressed the spot where Paiway had performed the operation. It hadn't been a bad job of excision and suture work, considering her young age and limited experience. The suture was slightly off-center and rough around the edges, but overall, she had done him proud. She would make a fine replacement, when he would finally leave the Nirvana.

With that in mind, he looked over to the bed beside him. This was actually the second time he had seen Barnette in her sleep and he wondered just what she was dreaming of. She looked very peaceful and he couldn't help but admire her facial features and how... appealing she looked.

He kept on wondering why he had such unusual feelings toward her, and another female aboard this vessel. Was this what Slade had been referring to previously? Those ancient, primal urges that a man would have toward a woman? And why did he feel that he was closer to Barnette than ever before? For some reason, he now knew of many of her likes and dislikes, including her favorite foods, colors, how to field-strip an ancient M-16 rifle in 5 seconds flat (where did that come from?), and other pieces of information. For the life of him, he couldn't remember when, if ever she had told him of these things.

As he pondered, he almost didn't hear the Recovery Room's door open. He looked up to greet his newest visitor and was a bit surprised to see Parfet. The head engineer smiled nervously as she waved at him.

"Hi."

----------

"I must say that this is a day to remember." Magno said as she and several of the crew members were in the Conference Room. She turned to Paiway and BC. "You two did a fine job. So what is the current status of the good doctor and Barnette?"

"For the moment, both are in stable conditions." Paiway said as she read a medical report. "The parasites are no longer causing any strains on their bodies and I expect them to make a full recovery."

BC nodded as she took over the report. "We did find a few things that were odd though. Those parasites were in sync with each other when we used the Cerebral Scanner on them. Their brainwave patterns matched to that of Barnette and Duero's. We can only speculate that was the reason why they fought so well together when they attacked us. I might even go as far to say that they shared some kind of empathic link with each other. With such a strong psychic bond, there might be some after-effects, even with the parasites removed. We intend to keep them under observation for the time being."

"And the doctor's new status as a Tekkaman?" The aged captain asked.

"Hard to say at this point." Slade answered. "He's certainly got the power of a full-fledged Tekkaman, and I may have to train him like I'm doing with Dita and the others. The same may go the same for Barnette, since there were reports of her having enhanced strength and reflexes. But there's a lot more questions to ask. I mean, why did the Radam go through all the trouble of kidnapping the Doc and Barnette, and turn them into a Tekkadread team?"

"My guess is that they were just an experiment, a trial to test their new weapon. They came very close to destroying us." BC suggested. "Now if they have the capability to create one Tekkadread, then what's to stop them from making more?"

"One was almost enough to do the job." Meia said with a slight shudder. "Parfet said that the damage to the ship were almost critical and we'll be running on reserves for a week. I'm not sure I want to think about the possibility of more of those monsters, no offense to Barnette or the doctor."

"We also have another thing to worry about." Buzom pointed out. "With Gascogne out of commission indefinitely, who do we have to replace her at the Register?"

----------

The Sick Bay...

"I'm... sorry, Duero." Parfet said as she bowed her head in shame.

"Sorry? What's there to be sorry about?" The physician asked in puzzlement.

"It was all my fault!" The head engineer said as she held in her tears. "If my Tekkasuit designs had been better planned, then you wouldn't have been captured and..."

Deuro waved his hand nonchalantly. "Parfet, don't worry about it. Your Tekkasuits were fine and you did whatever you thought to be necessary to make them as best as you could. No one could have predicted what the Radam had planned. And if it makes you feel any better, it took a lot of effort on the Radam's part to get me out of my suit. And I'm certain that you've made a lot of improvements since I've been gone."

"Well, yes I did." She admitted. "Though I guess you won't be needing one anymore, now that you're a Tekkaman."

"Well... I suppose." Duero then held up a hand and focused a bit on the open palm. Instantly, in a flash of blue-white light, his Tekkacrystal appeared. Unlike Slade's, his crystal was shaped like a segmented square with four points. On two sides were a pair of points at a ninety-degree angle to each other. He gazed upon it for a moment, then made it disappear. Unlike Jura, Meia and Dita, he had some prior training with the Radam before being sent with Barnette to attack the Nirvana.

He made his crystal disappear and nodded to the head engineer. "In any case, I'm not going to be re-assuming my position as the head physician for a while. Paiway will have to continue on in my place. Right now, I'm far too dangerous to be near a patient."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now, I can't even hold an instrument properly." He validated his point by reaching for a metal cup on a table next to his bed and casually picked it up. Without any effort, he crushed the cup to the size of a pea, before letting it drop back down to the table. "See? I don't trust myself to be near an injured person. I'm too powerful right now and I can't control my strength. I'll just end up destroying all the delicate equipment in the Sick Bay."

"Whoa. I see what you mean. Paiway's not going to be happy to hear this."

"She'll get over it. I trust that she will be able handle it. I'll still be there to guide if she needs it. Until I learn how to control my new powers, she'll have to keep on looking after the patients."

Parfet smiled as she felt a warm feeing from deep within. "Still, it's great to have you back, Duero. I... missed you... I mean, we all did." She then gave a discreet, though slightly envious glance to the still slumbering Barnette, whom she still considered as a rival for the doctor's affections. "Things weren't the same since you and Barnette were captured. What happened to you?"

"It was quite an experience, and one that I don't care to ever repeat. Now, I truly understand how Slade must of felt when he was forced to become a Tekkaman. I even met the Radam commander... his name was Darkon."

"Darkon?" A new voice said as two new visitors came into the Sick Bay.

Both Parfet and Duero looked over to the entrance and saw Magno and BC.

"I do hope you will forgive our intrusion." The aged women said as she and her First Officer walked over to the doctor's bedside. "I know that you and Barnette need time to recover from your ordeals, but..."

Duero shrugged nonchalantly. "It's all right, Captain. I understand that you need to know about this enemy. It's... difficult to describe Darkon. He was evil incarnate. He exuded a kind of malevolence that defied all belief. He freely and proudly admitted that he and the Radam were the ones who massacred the Harvesters and took over the Earth."

"Really?" This bit of news did not ease her in the slightest. The Harvesters had been tough opponents, but facing against a foe that had obliterated them without remorse was unsettling.

"Yes. We are up against an enemy who is absolutely merciless and will use any and all means to destroy those who oppose them. Barnette and I... we were just mere tools to him. When we were transformed, we learned about the history of the Radam. They are a very old and vicious alien race that had spread death and destruction throughout the cosmos, long before the human race was born. Their only goal is brutal conquest and countless civilizations have fallen over the eons. Their method of subjugating worlds is to turn sentient beings into Tekkamen, utilizing organic devices called Tekkapods. That's what happened to me. The Radam then control these warriors to take over their planets, using their Spider-Crab minions to overrun the populations and destroy all resistance. When they came to our galaxy, they had Earth in their plans of conquest, but due to some mysterious event, they went into hiding."

"A mysterious event?" BC inquired.

"I am not at all certain of the details, but the Radam encountered something that even they could not overcome. I believe it was that same force which caused our people to flee the Earth and founded our homeworlds of Tarak and Mejele. The Radam had been waiting all this time to reappear and resume their mission of total dominance over all worlds."

----------

Meanwhile, in another part of the Sick Bay, a lone figure approached a large capsule which had a special patient slumbering within it.

Slade tried to keep a good mood, though like everyone else aboard, was concerned with Gascogne's condition and hoped that she would be fully recovered by the time the journey ended. He reverently placed a hand on the top of the capsule and gazed through the front window at her peaceful expression.

Of all the women on the Nirvana, aside from Magno, none had been able to challenge the former Saotome in a battle wills, like the Head of the Register. She was the only one who could match wits with him and win at times. And she was the only person which, he tolerated being called D-Boy. His thoughts went back to all those times in the Register and when they played cards. Oh sure, his skills at poker were nowhere near hers, but still, she was good company and her presence was going to be sorely missed.

Like Magno, Slade had also begun thinking of who would replace her for the remainder of the voyage. He thought that Ukyo may be the logical choice and wondered how it would be like serving under her. It would be ironic to take orders from someone who followed him in the Warrior Squadron. Then again, she had become more amicable, as time went on, and Slade couldn't help but feel nervous around her and Xian Pu.

Well, at least the worst was over for the moment and nothing could surprise him at that point.

----------

The Sick Bay...

"Oh yes, Captain. There was one more thing I learned during my time under Darkon's control." Deuro added. "Concerning Slade."

"Oh? And what was that?" Magno asked.

"When I learned about the history of the Radam, I also discovered that they had encountered the Earth, long before our current conflict with them. Well, it would be more accurate to say that a small branch of their collective had encountered the Earth."

"What do you mean?" Parfet inquired.

"The Radam periodically send out small probing forces to seek out potential worlds to conquer, and according to their records, a Tekkapod had made it to Earth some five-and-a-half centuries ago."

"What? You mean they actually landed on Earth, five hundred fifty years ago?" The First Officer was shocked to hear that their enemies had invaded the human race half a millennia ago. "But, if that was the case, then why had they not conquered the human race then? Surely at that period, the technology wouldn't have been able to stand up against them."

"Well, according to the archives I scanned, the pod had transmitted that it had captured a victim, but then the Radam lost contact with that Tekkapod. That was when they themselves went into hiding. When they were revived and took the planet from the Harvesters, they found only the recent remains of that Tekkapod, which meant that it had succeeded in its directive to transform a being into a Tekkaman. The pod had opened a little less than a year ago."

At this point, Parfet became puzzled. "So, what you are telling us is that the Tekkapod had transformed one of the Harvesters into a Tekkaman?"

The doctor shook his head. "No. I learned that the Tekkapods would only transform healthy, living beings. A Harvester would not have survived the process, given their dependence on collecting human organs to supplement themselves. That pod had captured a person BEFORE the time of the Harvesters, which leads me to suspect that Slade may be that individual."

"Doctor, do you realize what you are suggesting?" BC said incredulously.

"It makes sense, if you think about it." Duero pointed out. "Slade has no memory up to about a year ago, and that does coincide with the time that the pod had opened on Earth. His DNA is undamaged, so he is most definitely NOT from Mejele or Tarak. I had scanned the personnel logs of the ancient colony ships from that room we had found during... what was that time again? Ah yes, Christmas. There was no one aboard any of those ships with the same DNA match as Slade's. The only other possible answer was that he had come from Earth."

"But that's impossible!" Parfet insisted. "That would make Slade over five-and-a-half centuries old! He doesn't appear to be any older than nineteen! Are you saying that Slade is even older than the First Generation? How can that be possible?"

Duero shrugged. "Well, technically speaking, Misty is 77 years old, considering that she spent 63 years in a cryo-stasis pod. It could be that Slade underwent a kind of suspended animation himself."

By now, the aged captain of the pirate vessel was more than intrigued. She then asked in a quiet tone, "Tell me Doctor. Can you give me an estimated date in which the Radam lost contact with that Tekkapod? In the ancient calendar terms."

Duero pondered it for a moment as he matched star dates with the ancient terms of telling time. He nodded as he replied. "I would say that the year would have been... 1984 AD."

Magno froze when she heard that date and became pale as a ghost. This made her First Officer concerned as she placed a hand on her shoulder and shook it slightly.

"Captain? Is something wrong?"

Magno shook her head as she responded quickly. "No. Nothing is wrong." She paused for a long time, then said to her, the head engineer and the doctor, "Tell no one of this, especially Slade."

"Why? I mean, shouldn't Slade, of all people know about this?" Parfet inquired.

"That's an order, Parfet. The same goes for the two of you." Magno said resolutely as she gazed upon BC and Duero with an expression which brooked no argument.

----------

Later that night, Magno decided to turn in. However, before she headed toward her bed, she went over to a small foot locker and opened it. She carefully took out a small, metal box and laid it out on a nearby desk. The surface was covered in a film of dust that had accumulated over the decades, and its contents had not been disturbed for quite some time. She reverently opened the lid, and reached inside, drawing out a long, clear cylinder. Within the airtight confines of the tube, was a rolled piece of parchment, suspended in an inert gas to keep it from degrading.

She gazed upon it for a long time and wondered.

_After all this time... can it really be... him?_

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Yeah, this chapter was short, but now this story is coming close to its climax and I need to speed things along. In chapter nine, we learn about the final fate of Rabat as Slade encounters some old friends and a lot of new problems. We also get to have a few more surprises along the way, including some interactions with Ukyo and Xian Pu. See you there!


	20. Chapter 9, Part 1: Difficulties

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: I think we all know the drill now.

>: Thoughts

**Chapter 9**

**Part One**

**Difficulties**

"Yaaaaahhhhhh... _WHOA!_"

_**THUD!**_

Slade groaned as he picked himself off the floor and rubbed his sore side. He couldn't understand it. How could he have missed? Lately, his martial arts skills had begun to degrade and he had to keep up his fighting skills, especially during this part of their journey back to Mejele and Tarak. The battles ahead promised to be the most intense.

He looked up at the target he had set up and wondered how he had misjudged the distance. It had been an easy exercise of jump-kicking and knocking off the top of the post. In the past, he could do it in his sleep. Now, he was struggling just to get through his usual training sessions. Just what was happening to him?

It had been several days after Duero and Barnette had been returned to the Nirvana, and things had just started to settle down. The Radam had chosen not to attack since then, which had been fortunate, given the state the ship was in. Parfet's engineering crews had been working around the clock to mend the damage that Tekkadread Carnage had wreaked, but it still wasn't enough. The pirates needed a place to dry-dock the vessel and effect more lasting repairs, especially the structural damage to the hull. The Nirvana was just barely holding together, and Parfet was near to resorting to duct tape and chewing gum to keep the ship from falling to pieces. There was also another dilemma; supplies and spare parts were now dwindling. With the addition of a fifth Tekkaman, the food rations had become strained.

Though Duero was perfectly willing to start eating Tarak food pills again, Barnette would not hear of it and insisted that he was served the same as everyone else on the ship. However, with his hyper-metabolism, this became a problem, especially with having to feed Slade and the other Tekkamen. The only solution was to find more food. Fortunately, Slade knew of a planet close by that could be of assistance. It had been one of the worlds he had encountered during his time wandering the cosmos before meeting up with Magno's crew. The pirates could also make use of the planet's technology to repair the Nirvana.

As they headed toward a gaseous nebula, the first obstacle they would have to overcome was the asteroid field that was in the way. With the Nirvana's protective screens as damaged as they were, they would have been forced to go around the area. Luckily, Jura had discovered a new power with her Tekkaman form.

----------

The bridge of the Nirvana...

"Are you ready, Jura?" Magno asked as she spoke through the communicator to the Mini-Dread that was flying out in front of the Nirvana.

In her fighter, the blonde pilot nodded as she took out her Tekkacrystal.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

In an instant, Tekkaman Ruby burst from her cockpit and flew forward toward the oncoming masses of rock and ice. The blisters on her armor glowed and then suddenly came off and floated about her like the repulsor discs on her old Tekkadread. They spread about her in a large spherical pattern and extended lines of force which merged to form a huge energy barrier, surrounding the Nirvana and protecting the ship. Chunks of stone and frozen water were pushed aside harmlessly as Jura single-handedly defended the Nirvana from everything the asteroid field threw against it.

----------

Meanwhile, deep within the nebula, a lone figure was buffeted through the energy storms and violent electromagnetic fields. Only the insulation of the capsule protected him from being obliterated, but at this point, he didn't care anymore. Anything, even death would have been preferable to the living Hell he was now experiencing.

Rabat wished that the torment would end. It had been one misery after another since the day he met with Slade. It was all his fault that he was now in this predicament. If it weren't for him, then he would still be whole, instead of being reduced to the pitiful shell of a human being that he was now.

Then, just as suddenly as he let his anger build, he let it drop. He really couldn't blame anyone, except for himself. After all, he had betrayed the human race to the Harvesters, and who wouldn't have done what Slade did to get payback? And that is just what he did when he alerted all the other human worlds to be on their guard against Rabat and his unholy alliance with the organ-hunters.

Every planet he had visited since then had turned him away, either by denying him refuge or forcibly chasing him off. More often than not, it was the latter. His supplies had eventually dwindled down to nothing and his lack of information to the Harvestors had devalued his importance to them. As a result, he simply became another human to harvest. And harvest they did, while his simian friend Utan had been thrown away to die in the vacuum of space.

The Harvesters had taken much from him and would have completely cut him apart if it weren't for the re-emergence of the Radam. Not that it was much better under their rule. The Radam had no use for a nearly-butchered, barely alive human. They wanted healthy individuals to control as Tekkamen and further their drive for conquest. All Rabat was good for was for periodic amusement and in their last scheme, as bait.

After Duero and Barnette's capture, Rabat was cast aside and left to die in the endless void. However, it seemed that fate was not yet finished with him as his capsule drifted toward a planet that he had not visited in several years. As the tiny vessel began to heat up as it started to graze the outer atmosphere, Rabat hoped that end would be quick as his capsule became a fiery meteor.

On the surface of the planet, a lone figure looked up and saw what appeared to be a shooting star. He then felt a kind of presence that seemed to emanate from it and decided to investigate as it was coming down toward an area that was nearby.

----------

On the Nirvana, Duero became concerned as he looked at the readouts on the medical scanner. Though he was supposed to be resting from his ordeal with the Radam, the Tarak physician had insisted on returning to his duties. Though with his enhanced and somewhat uncontrollable powers, he had Paiway handle all of the instruments, while he gave advice. Until he was able to touch objects and people without harming them, this new arrangement would have to suffice. Currently, she was running all of the Sickbay's equipment.

"Are you done, Doc?" Slade asked as he sat up from the examination table. He shook his head slightly to get rid of the dizzy spell he was feeling.

"The physical exam, yes." Duero replied. "However, I do not like what I am seeing. Your present level of homeostasis is... disturbing."

"Homeo... wha? Can you give it to me in simpler terms?"

"All right... and the term 'all right' is something that you are definitely not. When you first came aboard this vessel, I had the Med-Scanners recalibrated to measure your extraordinary levels of health and physiological makeup, due to your Tekkaman abilities. The same goes for Dita, Jura, Meia and of course, myself. And lately, your levels have substantially diminished. Your body isn't working as efficiently as before. The cellular structure seems to be having difficulty in sustaining itself. To put it simply, you aren't at your physiological best and this condition seems to be worsening."

"Aw, c'mon Doc. I'm just feeling a bit tired from all the fighting lately, that's all. I'm just having a few off-days." Slade insisted, though the medical man was not convinced.

"This goes beyond a few off-days, Slade. I have been reading the reports on how you've been straining lately and it may have something to do with your evolved Tekkaman form. Your performance in battle has degraded lately and the captain has told me of the problems you've been having in transforming into your penultimate form."

"No! It's just fatigue, that's all! I've been fighting almost nonstop since we've started this trip and..."

"And you've experienced far more than anyone could even begin to imagine." The doctor cut in as he began listing the events. "You've merged and formed Tekkadreads, gone up against Harvestor flagships, enemy Tekkamen, Spider-Crabs, dying, (and I am _STILL_ puzzled over how you were revived), and most recently... your transformation into your evolved form and the creation of the other Tekkamen. I have a theory that you had something to do with Dita, Meia and Jura's powers."

"Huh?"

"Think about it. Those three did not undergo the same process as I had with the Radam, yet they achieved the ability to become Tekkamen. The only logical explanation is that you _GAVE_ them their abilities."

"Say what? I didn't do anything to them, so how can I be responsible?"

"I have yet to formulate a plausible rationalization, but I am quite certain that you had contributed, at least in part, to their upgrades. But, all of that is beside the point that you are suffering some kind of physiological difficulty. It may be necessary to restrict your participation in any further combat, at least for now."

"No way! You know that we need everyone available to defend the ship, especially now. What if the Radam attack?"

"I believe that the others can handle it. If not, I can always give them assistance. I am a Tekkaman now, and Paiway can handle the medical duties."

"But..."

"Slade, as this ship's physician, I do have the authority to ground you if I feel that there is a potential danger to you and the crew. You have not been fighting at your best and perhaps some time to rest is in order."

"The doctor is right." Paiway said as she deactivated the Med-Scanner. "I don't like these readings either. I think you should follow his orders."

"And doctor's orders are to stay out of the battle." Duero stated.

----------

Later...

"It took some doing, but he finally agreed." Duero said as he concluded with his report to Magno and BC. At this point, the Nirvana had cleared the asteroids and was about to enter the nebula.

"That's good to hear, though I am skeptical that Slade will be able to keep himself from any future battles." The aged captain said. "However, I am more concerned with what's happening to him now. Are you certain that he is suffering some kind of cellular degeneration?"

"I'm positive." The Tarak physician said. "I have not yet informed Slade of the entire truth about his condition, but it has been steadily declining in the last few weeks. His body is being strained beyond its limits and I suspect that it is because of his recent achievement of his evolved Tekkaman form. With that much power to control, he is being forced to expend himself at a much higher rate. It should have taken him months to adapt to it, but he's been in near-constant battle since the beginning of this voyage. I fear that in a matter of weeks, perhaps days, he will burn himself out. Even maintaining his normal transformation might eventually become detrimental to him."

"And what about you and the other Tekkamen?" BC asked.

"So far, we haven't felt any of the effects that Slade is experiencing, and that could be due to the fact that we do not possess evolved forms. However, I am still monitoring our conditions and I will inform you of any new developments."

"Very well then. From this day on, Slade shall no longer take part in the defense of this vessel. He has done more than enough to protect us and now it is our turn. We will keep him in the Register for the remainder of the voyage." She paused for a moment then added. "I trust that this information about his condition will _NOT_ leave this conference room, at least for now?" When the two nodded, Magno sighed a bit, then changed the subject as she addressed her First Officer. "Speaking of the Register, since Gascogne is not expected to recover until the end of this journey, we must select her replacement. Any ideas as to whom?"

"I had approached Barnette with the offer, but she turned it down." BC replied.

"She turned it down?"

"Yes. I think that she feels responsible for the attack on Gascogne and doesn't feel worthy enough to take her place. She was extremely adamant against heading the Register."

"I suppose that is understandable, but who should we have to run the Register?"

"Hmm, might I make a suggestion?" Duero said. "I believe that there is another candidate."

----------

The Register...

Slade was a bit surprised to see Ukyo the 17th enter the Register and take her place at Gascogne's station.

"Ucchan? What are you doing here? I thought you were with the Warrior Squadron?"

The okonomiyaki chef smiled as she returned the greeting. "Well, with Gascogne out of commission for a while, they needed someone who was familiar with her station, so I was chosen. It's okay, since I get to spend more time with you. I hear that you were regulated to full-time here at the Register."

"Yeah, well it's only for a while. I'm going to be back into the fight eventually."

"Well then, we should enjoy what time we have together, Slade. I still need to thank you for that time you saved my life. How about I whip up some of my specialty okonomiyaki at lunch?"

"Sounds good to me."

Ukyo smiled as she felt that things were looking up. Slade had been spending so much time with Dita and the other Tekkamen, that she hadn't seen much of him outside of the Vanguard operations. Over the last few months, she had developed a fondness for him and her hatred toward men had diminished. He was not at all like the monsters that she had been taught to despise since birth. And of course, it wasn't as if he was the one who had dishonored the Kuonji clan all those centuries ago, right?

----------

At the shooting range, Barnette found it difficult to concentrate as she missed six targets in a row. In her mind, she could still see herself in her Dread as it opened fire on Gascogne's Supply Ship. The memory had been giving her nightmares and was also upsetting her aim. In her mind's eye, she could see Gascogne's face in the center of her targeting display. After another minute of aimless firing, the simulation ended and the score was displayed.

The brunette sighed in depression. She was definitely not at her best today. It had been bad enough that Darkon had used her and Duero as a weapon against the Nirvana, but this feeling of guilt still haunted her. How could she have so ruthlessly attacked and nearly murder her closest friends? She had felt ecstasy and pleasure in destroying her comrades. She had tried to convince herself that it had been that Radam Mind Parasite that had forced her to do such terrible things, and yet she couldn't help but feel that a part of her wanted to do it. Did that thing somehow unleash a primal urge within her? No matter how much she wanted to forget, the guilt was still there and there was always the possibility that it might happen again.

That was the main reason why she had turned down the position of Head Supplier, and instead agreed to lead the Dread Squadrons. She did not feel that she was worthy of taking the place of the one she had nearly killed. And she was certain that the other crewmembers still harbored some resentment toward her, despite the fact that everyone on board had already forgiven her.

However, Barnette could not forgive herself and had purposely distanced herself from her comrades. She felt that she didn't have any connection to anyone, not after that bastard Darkon had changed her. No one could understand what she had experienced. Well, almost no one...

After her recovery from surgery, Barnette had felt a kind of faint connection with Duero. For some odd reason, she knew how to tie a surgeon's knot, was able identify various parts of the body by their medical terms and how to set broken bones. She even had a recipe for roasted Shelari meat.

At that moment, she heard the door to the shooting range open and a familiar figure entered. She gave Duero a warm smile as he approached her.

"Hello Barnette. And how are you?" The good doctor asked as she came down off the floating disk and faced him.

"Oh, I'm all right. I've got a little irritation in the occipital region of my cerebrum and some slight discomfort on the dorsal side of my spinal column near the second and third vertebrae but... huh?" She became confused over her words and said, "Whoa, where did all of that come from? I just meant to say that I have a headache and a slight pain in my neck."

Duero smirked a bit as he replied. "Hmm, it could be that our psychic link during the time we were Darkon's slaves may have transferred some of my memories over to you and vice-versa. You just recited one of the exam questions I answered during my days at the Tarak Medical Academy. For me, I happen to know that you're shooting a 45-caliber Model 1911 A1 with a 7-round magazine."

"Wow. And I thought I was the ancient gun expert."

The two shared a laugh together as they unknowingly began forging a relationship between their two worlds... and something more intimate...

----------

"Slade, what's wrong?" Ukyo asked as her associate began to cough and become somewhat shaky.

Slade waved her off as he cleared his throat, though at the moment he was feeling unsteady and his vision started to blur slightly. He did not want to worry her or anyone else on the ship, though he knew that he couldn't keep his condition secret from the others for long. He just had to hold out until the end of the voyage. He quickly excused himself and headed out the door, leaving a very puzzled and concerned Head of the Register.

Ukyo the Seventeenth knew that something was up. Slade was usually confident and sure in himself. Now he was showing signs of fatigue and lack of coordination. He was also displaying some mental stress and wasn't as gung-ho about things. At times, he was moody and withdrawn. Every now and then, he'd actually come close to losing his patience.

Since he wasn't a female, Ukyo couldn't assume that Slade was having that 'time of the month' that women had. Then again, she didn't know much about men in particular, until after she had met Slade. She wondered if he was coming down with some kind of disease. She decided to table her thoughts for a while and hoped that things would get better.

----------

Slade's quarters...

_What's wrong with me?_>

Slade found himself in a coughing fit that sent sharp stabs of pain through his chest and throat. When he put his hand to his mouth and let off a hard hacking noise, he became alarmed to see a wet, warm crimson stain on his palm.

He braced himself and tried to focus, but his vision continued to blur in and out. Finally, he collapsed onto his bed as his head started to spin. He just barely managed not to lapse into unconsciousness as he waited for his body to settle down, though he knew that deep inside, he wasn't going to get any better.

Things had been getting harder for him, and everyday life had become a struggle. Slade suspected that something was happening to him, and that he may not see the end of this journey. He had hoped that it was only fatigue and mental stress, but it had worsened as time went on. He had been hiding his condition from others, but he knew that it was only a matter time before the rest of the crew realized that something was wrong with him.

It was only a day or two before, just after Duero and Barnette had returned, when the White Tekkaman began to fear that his life may not last much longer.

----------

The Radam World, formerly the planet Earth...

"I cannot understand these games that you play, Darkon!" Saber stated as he stood before his master in his human form. "Why do you not just destroy the Nirvana and Slade and have done with it?"

"You will _NOT_ speak to your Warlord in that manner, Saber." Darkon replied in a very dangerous tone. "Remember, just who made you into what you are now. Those foolish Harvesters believed that they have been in control of the Paksis, when it really we, the Radam, who had created the Tekkaman from the wretch they had selected. You owe your power, your very existence, to me."

"If you truly wish for me to show my gratitude, then you will give me the power to destroy Slade!" Saber shot back. "The power I have now, is nothing compared to his evolved form!"

"Indeed." The Radam Warlord agreed. "He has achieved the penultimate form of the Tekkaman warrior. Tekkamen such as yourself are but one step in the cosmic evolution. He has surpassed you, but not without paying a price."

"Price?"

"It is a gift that requires much, from he who receives it... great physical and spiritual strength... and ultimately his very life, for no one can survive as the penultimate Tekkaman for very long. The surveillance footage from our previous battles have shown that he is already having difficulties and it is only a matter of time."

"Master, are you saying that Slade will not survive?" This information alarmed Saber as he made a decision. "Give me these powers now before it is too late!"

"What?"

"I demand them, Darkon! I will not be _CHEATED_ out of defeating my greatest foe because of some cosmic twist of fate!"

"_YOU_ demand me?" The Warlord said incredulously.

"I will not be silent this time! You owe me this! Even if Slade does not survive, he _STILL_ wins! After all that I've done, that's just not fair!"

"And what _HAVE_ you done, but fail me consistently?" Darkon pointed out, then decided to punish Saber for his insubordination. "And now you defy me? So be it, Saber!"

The Crimson Tekkaman was suddenly engulfed by a jelly-like substance that sprang up from the floor and dragged him down, screaming and struggling. Saber shouted out in protest and anguish, but then disappeared from sight, leaving the Radam leader to contemplate.

Darkon sighed as he considered his next move and what to do with the rebellious space warrior. Though Saber was his most powerful warrior, he was also the hardest to control. His obsession with defeating Slade had both been an incentive and a liability in their plans to conquer the cosmos. However, only Darkon knew of the underlying reasons to Saber's drive to destroy his rival.

Darkon was well aware of Slade's origins since he had the records of the pod

which had landed on Earth centuries ago. He also knew of the genesis of Saber as well and suspected that link between the two may be what was causing such animosity between the two.

_Hmmm, if only Saber knew of his true connection to Slade... speaking of which... I think it is time to hurry his destruction along..._>

----------

"_DARKON! DON'T LEAVE ME DOWN HERE! I WILL GO MAD!_"

Saber continued to pound against the crystalline prison in which he had been transported to. However, his pleas went unanswered as he was left in silence in the bowels of the planet.

As he was left to consider his rebellious words against Darkon, he continued to see in his mind's eye his greatest foe, Slade. He just had to defeat him, once for all. He wanted to achieve and surpass all that the White Tekkaman had. He wanted to be recognized as the best and he would not be in anyone's shadow, least of all his!

Though he wanted nothing more than to destroy him utterly, he couldn't help but feel that there was some connection between them. In a way, they were two-of-a-kind and that infuriated him even more. He was not going to be compared to him! He would be known as a great warrior and not some second-rate version of Slade!

----------

"Slade, are you all right?" Meia asked as she and the Tekkaman ate in the cafeteria. Normally he would be wolfing down his meal, but today he was just picking at his food.

"Oh well I guess I'm not too hungry." Slade replied. "Sometimes I've been skipping meals."

This statement surprised her. Knowing the high-energy requirements of a Tekkaman, eating less or skipping meals was not advisable. She had made certain she had been eating enough, for there was no telling when the next battle would occur. For Slade to turn down food meant that something was definitely wrong. And after all they had been through together, she had started to open up more and became very concerned. Though she wouldn't admit it openly, Slade had become very important to her.

"Slade, are you sure that you're all right?"

"Hey, it's okay." Slade said as he got up and heading for the exit, leaving his uneaten meal on the table.

However, the former Dread leader was unconvinced as she followed him out into the hall. She placed her hand on his shoulder and stopped him. She blushed a bit when she felt the hard muscle under her palm, then quickly took her hand back. When he turned to face her, she felt a bit young and unsure, then composed herself. "Slade, I'm... I mean, we're all getting concerned about what's been happening to you lately. You've been avoiding people, you haven't been leading the training sessions as much as you did and... well, I've haven't seen you as much, especially now that you've been grounded from battle for a while."

"It's all right, though I appreciate the concern. I'm just tired okay?"

"No, it's not okay!" Meia insisted. "Slade, you can't just shut yourself out from us, and from me! We're friends, and I... well..." She started to twiddle her index fingers and her cheeks became pink. "I mean, we're supposed to help each other when we're in trouble. You've always helped us out when we needed it, and I think it's time we started to return the favor. If there's something wrong then you should let me know. I'll always be here for you when you need me!" She immediately became very embarrassed as soon as those words left her lips. What made her say such a thing?

Slade gave her a comforting smile as he gazed upon her flustered expression. She looked really cute at the moment as he replied, "Thanks Meia. I do appreciate the offer and maybe... I'll take you up on it." He then leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then turned around and left her in an even more embarrassed state.

----------

_I wonder what made me do that?_> Slade thought as he decided to visit the Sick Bay and see how Gascogne was doing as she rested in the Healing Capsule. As he neared the Sick Bay, he met up with Dita, who happened to be carrying a tray of sweet rolls and other pastries.

"Mr. Alien! I've been looking for you! I made these just for you!" The red-haired girl said excitedly.

"Uh, thanks Dita, but I'm not hungry right now..." Slade began, but then stopped as he saw the look of disappointment in her eyes. Why was it that he couldn't stand to see a girl sad? "Oh, okay maybe a couple." He reached out, took a pastry and quickly gobbled it up. The smile on her face brightened the mood.

"Mmmm, this is good."

His compliment made her even happier. "I'm glad that you like it! Here! Have as much as you want!"

As the two conversed, the tension that Slade had been feeling eased somewhat. It was good to be able to be with people that did care about him. It made him feel less lonely and that was a welcomed change from the life of solitude he had been leading before joining the Nirvana.

Standing nearby, a certain girl was feeling left out. Misty had in her hands a tray of food that she had made for him. However, since the day her rival Dita and the other girls had become Tekkamen, she had been feeling inadequate and not worthy of him. Dita, Meia and Jura had attained a level of power that set them apart from all the others. Furthermore, though she had been trying to get his attention, it was apparent that Slade only considered her as a friend and nothing more.

Misty sighed and shook her head. The writing was on the wall and it was time for her to accept it and move on. From the time she had awakened from the cryo-pod, she had hoped that she and Slade would get together, since he was the only man on the ship that understood the old ways between men and women. She had been feeling very lonely with only people from single-gender planets around. However, he did not respond to her the way she wanted to, and she could not force him to love her. But the question was, where could she go from here? The world she knew of no longer existed and she had no family to call her own. It just wasn't fair!

She would have been better off sleeping in that cryo-pod!

Not wanting to be seen with tears in her eyes, she quietly walked off and left the scene.

At that moment, the battle alert went off...

----------

The Observation Port...

Slade sighed as he watched Dita, Jura, and Meia, along with the other defenders of the Nirvana fight off several swarms of Spider-Crabs. In the lead of the Dread formations was Barnette, with Xian Pu in command of the Warrior Squadron. It seemed that everyone was doing well... without him. He had wanted to transform and get involved in the fight, but Duero immediately stopped him and reminded him of his enforced R&R. He was to stay put and let the others fight.

Slade understood that he had to stay on the sidelines, but that didn't mean that he had to like it.

The battle raged on for several minutes and the pirates looked like they were having no troubles. The near-mindless Radam monsters were no match for them and Slade felt about as useful as a burned-out meteor.

Then the tables turned as Darkon decided to up the ante...

----------

The alarms on the bridge on the Nirvana began sounding off as something huge appeared on the sensors. A huge rip in the space-time continuum appeared in the midst of the battle. And from that opening, an old nightmare came into view.

It was a leftover from the Harvesters and had been corrupted by the Radam. The mothership looked like a mutated sea cucumber with strange growths all over its surface. From these growths, thousands of Spider-Crabs were spewed into space like spores. Plasma bolts and organic missiles were released and began raining down on the pirates, threatening to wipe them out of existence. The Nirvana shuddered from the onslaught and was on the verge of collapsing.

Magno's crew was in big trouble...

----------

"Slade! Where are you going?" Duero cried out as he chased after the White Tekkaman toward the nearest airlock.

"Where do you think?" Slade called back as he began to open up the airlock. The ship shook and shuddered as the vessel's hull was being torn apart. The defensive screens of the Nirvana were being overpowered and Spider-Crabs were getting through. Destruction was imminent and something had to be done.

"You are not going to fight!" Duero insisted as he tried to restrain his patient. However, as the hallway shuddered and panels were blown open, the physician paused in his attempt to stop Slade.

Slade shook him off and faced him. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a firm tone, as alarms rang and circuits sparked. "Doc, I know what you're trying to do, but you don't have to hide or deny it. I know what's going on."

This statement took the healer by surprise. He took a step back. "What?"

"Doc... I'm not ignorant. I know that I haven't been feeling well. It's been going on for some time now and I finally figured that it might have something to do with my Tekkaman powers. That's why you had me put on the Register, wasn't it? To keep me from transforming?"

"Slade, I..."

"You don't need to explain what's happening to me. I know... I'm... dying."

"No, you're..."

"You don't have to sugarcoat it, Doc. And right now, we don't have time for this. If we don't do something now, then my condition won't matter, would it? _WE'VE_ got to fight them, _NOW!_"

"_WE?!_"

"You're a Tekkaman, aren't you? And we need all the help we can get."

"Yes, but..."

"But nothing! Doc, if we lose now, we lose _EVERYTHING!_ You can plan my funeral later, but we have to deal with this problem now. If I'm going to bite the big one, then I'm going to make sure that I take as many of those Radam bastards with me! Now are you going to help me, or stop me?"

----------

Barnette gritted her teeth as she made her enhanced Dread swerve away from attacking Spider-Crabs, then swung about to counter-attack. The fighter was far more maneuverable than the others, thanks to the Radam, but it was still not enough to hold off the enemy. The pirate forces were losing ground and the Nirvana was taking a terrible beating.

However, in the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a flash of emerald green light and knew that Slade had joined the fray. What caught her by surprise was an additional flash of gray-blue light that followed. She then recognized the second figure as...

"_RAZOR!_"

----------

"_TEKSETTER!_"

In unison, Slade and Duero transformed into their Tekkaman forms. For the doctor, this was a new experience as they charged at the formations of Spider-Crabs that were ripping up the Nirvana's hull. He was somewhat unsteady and figured that he had been fighting on instinct when he was under Darkon's control. He also noticed that Slade's movements were sluggish and he was straining hard just to keep going.

However, now was the time to focus on the task at hand, and the physician had to master his new abilities quickly. As they came down on a pack of Spider-Crabs that were about to tear open the top of the Nirvana's bridge, he looked down at his armor and wondered if the sharp protuberances were more than just cosmetic. Extending out with his right gauntlet, he concentrated, and was surprised when the armor stretched out and formed a blade. Swinging the blade in a wide arc, a beam of energy was let loose and cut a huge Spider-Crab in half.

_Interesting. This armor is able to re-shape into any type of surgical instrument I can imagine. I was just thinking of my scalpel and a laser cellular divider._>

Tekkaman Razor sped forward and let loose a series of energy slashes that reduced dozens of the monsters to shreds. One Spider-Crab tried to blindside him, but he turned about and his gauntlets let loose with twin long spikes with beveled points. Driving the points deep within the brute's head, he focused his power and 'injected' a blast of quantum energy into it, causing the beast to explode.

----------

"Wow! Look at Mr. Doctor!" Tekkaman Sapphire exclaimed as she and her comrades watched Duero 'operate' on his opponents.

"He's doing well for his first combat." Jura remarked.

"Yes, but Slade isn't!" Meia pointed out as she sped down to aid her comrade. The others followed her into the thick of things.

----------

Slade winced as another Spider-Crab landed a direct blow. With his reflexes down and the enemy attacking en masse, the White Tekkaman was finding it hard to keep fighting. Deep within him, he could feel his body burning as flashes of pain stabbed hard at his very being. His heart threatened to explode from the intense pounding and he started to become disoriented. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out before his body pulled itself apart.

The majority of the Spider-Crabs began to focus their attention on Slade, biting, slashing and crushing, sometimes tearing each other apart in their assault on the Nirvana's prime defender. It was as if he were in the center of a maelstrom and with every bit of damage he sustained, he could feel himself falling deeper and deeper into oblivion.

----------

Darkon smiled as he watched the battle from his monitor.

_Yes... keep pushing him... push him over the **EDGE**! Isn't it marvelous, Slade? The power you had gained as the Penultimate Tekkaman is nearly beyond comprehension, but it does come with a price. Now, it is only a matter of time before that gift destroys you! And I shall relish each and every moment as I watch you die! You will not be able to win this battle without that power, and that shall be your ultimate downfall!_>

----------

"Hang on Mr. Alien!" Dita cried out as she launched her energy arrows at the creatures that were swarming over him.

Jura, Meia and Duero also began blasting off the Spider-Crabs to ease the pressure off Slade. When the Tekkaman flew free, the others thought that things would be all right, but that was when the mothership began directing its firepower at Slade, as well as sending out more Spider-Crabs.

As Slade took a glancing shot on the shoulder, his rage started to swell, then finally it peaked.

"_ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!_"

His body convulsed and trembled as he focused all of his remaining energy. By now, his armor was pockmarked and severely battered. Power began to seep from the cracks and holes and it looked as if he was about to explode.

"Slade, don't do it!" Razor warned as he tried to stop him, but Slade paid no heed. Regardless of the intense pain he was feeling, he was going to finish this battle, once and for all!

The other Tekkamen were driven back as a huge energy backlash was emitted and in a flash, Tekkaman Blastor appeared on the scene.

At that point, Slade could only see his target as he opened up his Mega-Voltekker units and began charging up. At the same time, the mothership prepared to let loose with one final volley.

Slade felt as if he was about to be torn apart as he primed his strongest attack then...

"_MEGA-VOLTEKKER... AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!_"

In that instant, the darkness of space was dispelled as Slade let loose with a mind-boggling blast that tore through the enemy vessel and vaporizing the hordes of Spider-Crabs. The pirates were astonished at the level of destruction that he had released.

But as the mothership turned away and self-destructed, the feeling was forgotten as an insistent voice was heard.

"Mr. Alien! Mr. Alien! Mr. Alien! Why won't you answer me?"

Floating among the debris and remains of the enemy forces, a lone figure floated lifelessly, as globules of red streamed from several cracks in the armor.

----------

Later...

"What?! What do you mean he's dying?!" Jura demanded.

In the Sick Bay, Duero sighed as he read his report to her and all the others who were with him. In an adjoining room, Slade, in his human form, was lying in bed with dozens of medical equipment buzzing and humming about. He had been in a coma-like state ever since he had been brought back to the ship.

"There's... no other way I can say it." The Tarak man stated. "Slade is suffering from a form of hyper-cellular degeneration and I'm afraid that he only has a few hours to live. He may not survive past the night."

"No! You can't mean that! Mr. Alien can't die!" Dita said as her eyes welled up with tears.

Meia, though she appeared to be putting up a strong front, was also deeply affected by the news. "What is happening to him? Tell us!"

Magno sighed as she knew that there was no point in keeping the rest of the crew in the dark. "What the good doctor is trying to say is that Slade has been suffering from a condition that is connected to his Tekkaman powers, specifically his evolved form. We found out that the more he used it, the more he was driving himself closer to the grave."

"That was the reason why we wanted Slade to stay out of the battles. We didn't want him to accelerate the process that was killing him." Duero said. "His evolved form requires far more energy than his body could supply and using those powers would eventually prove to be fatal. I'm sorry, but... Slade is going to die."

To be continued...

Author's Notes

It's been a long while, but I finally got around to finishing this part of Chapter nine and I hope to see this fic to the end. My life has been taking several twists and turns that have been cutting into my writing, but I'm still cranking out stories when I can. In the next part, Meia, Dita and Jura may be able to save Slade, but the risk may be more than they could take. See you then!


	21. Chapter 9, Part 2: Evolution

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: What? Do I have to disclaim? Oh all right. Tekkaman Blade, Vandread and Ranma 1/2 don't belong to me, so get off my back!

>: Thoughts

**Chapter 9**

**Part 2**

**Evolution**

The Radam Homeworld, formally the Earth...

Darkon nodded as Lance, Rapier and Axe stood before him. After receiving word of the supposed demise of Tekkaman Slade, the Warlord had decided that now was the time to finish off the pirates and reclaim the Nirvana's Paksis Core. And what better way than to use the new weapons that they had just created?

The three Tekkamen saluted their master as they received their orders, which were simple and straight-forward. It was to be total annihilation without mercy.

----------

A few hours later...

Aboard the pirate vessel Nirvana, the crew was in a state of depression that made even a long-forgotten Lost Boy seem cheerful. The battered spacecraft and its inhabitants had endured much during its long voyage back to Mejele and Tarak and until the present, survived with all on board. However, this time it seemed that Death would not be cheated of finally claiming one of them.

In the Sick Bay, a lone figure lay on a bed as dozens of life-support machines buzzed and hummed around him. Various tubes and sensors were attached to his arms and chest, monitoring his life readings as they slowly and steadily declined. With each passing second, Slade's life ticked away.

The once mighty Tekkaman was now just barely hanging by a thread. He was in a deep coma, with his breathing and heartbeat slightly detectable by technological means. He had to be continuously fed oxygen through a facemask and stimulated through chemical and bio-electrical pulses to keep his heart beating. However, it was a losing battle, despite all the machinery and ultra-modern medicine. Every second, his life-signs would drop a fraction lower, and it would not be long before they ceased altogether. He did not even have the option to be cryogenically frozen, as his cellular structure would be unable to endure the freezing process. He was literally dying, one cell at a time.

The Sick Bay was as quiet as a tomb, save for the regular sounds the monitors made. All other patients had been moved out to focus on keeping Slade alive until a solution could be found to save him. But time was running out and Duero was no closer to finding a cure. It was then that the doors to the Sick Bay opened and a lone figure entered.

Her face was red and it was obvious to anyone who saw her that she had spent much of her free time in tears. Dita had been waiting in her room ever since she had heard the news that Slade was dying, and had prayed to her Mejele gods for him. She couldn't believe that after all they had been through, she could not do anything but watch him slip away from her life. She was no longer the cheerful, happy-go-lucky girl, as much of the excess energy she used to possess seemed to have drained out of her.

She came to Slade's bedside and knelt down. She looked longingly at him and it looked as if she was trying to get him to wake up by the sheer force of her will. Of course, no matter how much she wanted him to open his eyes and smile at her, he remained silent and unmoving. She bowed her head down and grasped his right hand, squeezing it gently and hoping that he would squeeze back. After long hours of training, she had finally managed to gain control over her enhanced strength, and did not crush the bones in his hand. Still, he would not move and the red-haired female began to fear that he was now lost to her. There would be no miraculous revival this time.

"Mr... Alien... please... don't die!" Dita sobbed as she could not keep the tears from flowing and soaking the blanket and sheets. "You still haven't come to my room... and... I can't stand to see you like this! Please... come back to us! Come back to me!"

She wept for a very long time and her body became exhausted from the effort. Finally, she surrendered to sorrowful slumber as she lay her head on his chest. Her sleep became wracked with sad dreams and in her sleep she started to mumble...

"I... love... you... Slade..."

At that moment, the pulse monitor began recording less than 20 beats per minute. Then the number dropped another two beats. The high-tech life-support systems could not maintain life at less than three and Slade's demise grew ever nearer.

----------

Somewhere else on the Nirvana...

Magno was feeling the years of her long life weigh down upon her soul as she walked down the hallway. Like Dita, she was feeling restless and somewhat helpless as she could do nothing but wait for Slade's death.

She smiled sadly as she remembered the first time they had met and he had called her an Old Ghoul. She did not take the insult personally and over time, he had sort of grown on her. He was like the son she had never had. At times, he was arrogant and somewhat cocky, but at the same time, she had admire his spirit and unending courage. He always put others before his own safety and there was time in which it seemed he would become a permanent part of the crew. And there was a certain measure of pride when he chose to name Ezra's child Nodoka.

As she continued to muse, she then noticed a certain figure ahead of her.

"Meia?"

Magno walked up to the former Dread Leader, as Meia leaned against the railing to a large observation window. The blue-haired girl didn't seem to notice her captain's presence or perhaps, she did not care at the moment. Not that she was being disrespectful, but she currently had a lot of things on her mind as she gazed at the unending background of stars.

When the elderly woman came up beside her, she noticed right away that Meia had been doing something that she had _NEVER_ seen her do before. The red puffy eyes, the streaks of recent salty dampness, the infrequent sniffling, and the clenching of her hands on the rail, (which was deforming the metal due to her enhanced strength), the signs were all there. Then, in a trembling, quiet voice, Meia spoke.

"It... hurts so much... to see him in such pain."

The hundred-plus-year-old woman nodded. She didn't have to ask whom Meia was talking about. The normally tough-minded girl wasn't even trying to hide her sadness. In a way, Magno was glad that the young girl was finally opening up with her emotions. She had always been so serious and distant, ever since she became part of the crew. Thanks to a certain cosmic warrior, Meia was at last showing more of her human side. The ancient crone only wished that it wasn't under such gloomy circumstances. How could one man touch the hearts of so many?

Meia looked down at her right hand as she held it up. She stared at the palm for a minute, then clenched it into a fist. "I have all this power... more than I ever dreamed I could have. I can do things... amazing things... and despite it all... I... can't help him."

"Meia..."

Tears began to stream anew as she turned about to face Magno. She couldn't stop them. They kept on coming as she reached out and embraced the old woman. The captain's arms came around her as she gently embraced Meia like a mother hugging her daughter. In a way, every girl on the Nirvana was like a surrogate daughter to her. She said nothing as Meia continued to pour out her soul.

"I... can't help him! (sob) After all the times he helped us! He's dying and all this power I've got... _CAN'T_ help him! It's not fair! Not fair! Not fair! Not fair!"

Magno felt her own eyes welling up with tears as she also felt a sense of helplessness for Slade. She kept her peace as the girl in her embrace continued to weep.

In her mind's eye, the former Dread Leader could still remember the last time she had seen him and that kiss he had given to her. It had just been a simple peck on the forehead, but it had affected her like nothing else. Over time, Meia's natural dislike towards males had lessened and she had become... attached to him. That fondness had increased considerably during the voyage and was becoming something more.

Though she would not admit it openly, Meia was discovering an ancient emotion that once existed between men and women.

Love.

----------

In Jura's quarters, the blonde Tekkaman sat in silence on her bed. She too had nothing to do but wait for Slade's death and that in itself was torture.

It wasn't fair! Slade was supposed to be the Ohma to her child! She would not have cared if the baby was a boy or a girl. It would have been a part of her and him! She would have loved her son or daughter in any case, as long as it was Slade's! And the thought of having him by her side and raising that child had been a dream that she had come to look forward to. Now, it appeared that the dream would die with him.

It was at that moment, that Jura remembered back to her conversation with Magno, just before she had become Tekkaman Ruby. She had asked the captain why she was feeling so possessive and adamant to have the White Tekkaman as the father of her children. Magno's response to her question had shocked her to her core and she had initially resented the notion. However, as time passed on, the thought of spending the rest of her life with him was eventually accepted and even relished.

As she and Barnette drifted apart, with her friend becoming closer to Duero, Jura had gradually latched onto Slade. His nervousness and anxiety, whenever she displayed signs of affection, were quite amusing and charming. At times, he was just downright adorable when he stuttered and tripped on his own two feet whenever she expressed her sexuality. And after seeing him naked, she had wondered on many occasions, just what he'd taste like.

There had been a burning need that had been growing, ever since Slade had first kissed her, and ignited an instinct that had long been dormant in Mejele females. Since that day, Jura had wanted to get closer to him, and when she decided to have a baby, the first and only candidate for Ohma was the White Tekkaman. She had been dreaming just what her children would look like. Would they have her blonde hair or his raven locks? Would they possess his gray-blue eyes or her emerald green? At times, she even imagined a boy with her features and Slade's. Instead of being repulsed by the image of a male child, as most Mejele women would, she actually became fascinated at the idea.

But the main drive to have Slade's child was not for fame as it initially was. It was because she had recently admitted to herself that which Magno had known all along. She had planned to tell Slade, but now it was too late.

Tears started to stream down her cheeks as Jura shook with despair. She had been so close to achieving her dream, only to have it dashed by a cruel twist of fate.

Was it so wrong for her to be in love with a man, that Destiny had decided to take him away from her?

It was then that she and Meia received a summons to the Sick Bay, where Dita was still at Slade's bedside.

----------

Later...

"You say that you may have found a way to save Slade?" Bc asked.

"There is a chance... but it's a very slim chance. Parfet and I had to do a lot of research." Duero said as he began outlining the procedure, which could save Slade's life. _Damn it, I lost Slade once! I won't lose him again!_>

The Tekkaman's latest transformation to Blastor Mode had put him near Death's Door, and it took all of the Tarak healer's skills to keep him from crossing over into the Great Beyond. He was already slipping close to the point of no return in his coma, and this time, he may not wake up at all.

"Explain." BC asked as she and the captain stood by Slade's bedside. At the foot of his bed, were Meia, Dita and Jura, who were also listening intensely.

"After a long study of Slade and the other Tekkamen on board, including myself, Parfet and I have determined that Slade's deterioration is due to an imbalance of his bio-energy levels. As a normal Tekkaman, he's able to replenish whatever stores he uses up in combat. But his evolution requires more energy than he's able to consume and that transformation is causing his already enhanced metabolism to accelerate to near-fatal levels. His cells just can't keep up and are now in the process of final degeneration. Within three hours... he'll be dead."

"_NO!_" All three girls gasped as they leaned forward with great concern.

"So what can we do?" Magno asked with great expectation.

Duero activated a small monitor and began explaining the images being displayed. "What Slade needs now is an infusion of Paksis bio-energy that can bring his deficiencies back up to normal levels, and rebuild his damaged cell structure. Since we've learned that the Paksis was originally a Radam power source, we can attempt to use it as a kind of energy booster."

"Then do it!" Meia insisted as she and her fellow Tekkamen gazed longingly at the wounded warrior.

"Hold on, Meia. It's not that simple." Duero said with a firm expression. "Our studies on the Tekkaman Power Process has also shown that there is a complication."

"What do you mean?" Jura inquired. "If all Slade needs is a recharge, then why don't you just do it?"

"That's an interesting way to put it." Duero remarked, then said in a very serious tone. "However, we can't just hook Slade directly to the Paksis like we would with Pegas to a recharge station."

"Well, why not?" Jura demanded. "If the Paksis is the source of our powers, then it should be able to fix him up!"

"The reason why I haven't done so yet, is because the process would kill Slade instantly!" The doctor replied in more stern tone, which immediately silenced the blonde Tekkaman. He took a calming breath and explained. "Slade's cell structure is extremely fragile at this point, and infusing pure Paksis energy into his body would most likely cause it to implode! We'd be sending him to certain death if we were to attempt a direct energy transfusion."

"But Mr. Alien is going to die if we do nothing!" Dita cried out.

The Tarak man sighed as he nodded. "Yes, but unless we have a way for Slade to absorb the Paksis energy in a form he can accept, he will most certainly die!" His voice trailed off as he gazed upon Jura, Meia and Dita. "And that's where you three come in."

"Us?" Jura inquired.

"Yes, only the three of you can make this plan work, but the procedure is extremely dangerous and there is no time for testing. This will be an all-or-nothing attempt. However, the chance of success is less than fifty percent and there is a very high probability of death... for the three of you. You may just die along with Slade. Are you willing to take that risk?"

"If it means that we can save Mr. Alien..." Dita started.

"... then the risk is worth it!" Meia agreed.

"Life wouldn't be worth living if he isn't in it!" Jura said. "Tell us what to do!"

The Tarak man was a bit uneasy at how quickly they responded and without hesitation. However, there was little time left and since they had given their consent, he had no choice but to initiate his proposal.

----------

Later, in the Engineering Section, near the Paksis Core...

"Are you certain this will work?" BC asked as she watched the three former Dread pilots laid down on the separate gurneys beside Slade's sedated body. Paiway was busy preparing sedatives for each of them, as well as connecting them via cybernetic linkages to the ailing Tekkaman.

"To be truthful... no." Duero admitted, as he directed Parfet to set up the apparatus. Since he was a Tekkaman with enhanced strength, he couldn't risk touching the controls until he learned to control himself. A single touch to a button might cave in the control panel.

"No?" BC stressed with much concern. Magno was also on edge at the doctor's uncertainty.

"Theoretically... it _SHOULD_ work, but the best odds that I can give are fifty-fifty, and that's only a conservative estimate. I've had a theory as to how Jura, Meia and Dita became Tekkamen. After all that we've learned about the Tekkaman Power Process, and experiencing the process myself, I can say with almost 100 certainty, that it was because of Slade and the Nirvana's Paksis, which gave them their abilities."

"Explain." Magno asked.

"The basic Tekkaman Power Process begins when a suitable candidate is encased within a structure called a Tekkapod, which is created by a Paksis Core. The subject is then bombarded with a continuous stream of quantum energy, in which his/her cellular structure is altered. The being's body becomes extremely energy efficient, which explains the enhanced strength, speed, reflexes and other physical abilities. The person also gains the power to created solid energy objects into crystalline forms, such as the armor and weapons."

"Interesting, but that doesn't explain Slade's lack of memory of his past." BC pointed out.

"I would say that it was due to some Radam tampering during the process." Duero said. "Remember that the Radam implanted parasitic organisms within Barnette and myself, in order to wipe out our memories and keep us under their control. Ghaleon had also claimed that the Tekkapod he was in tried to wipe out his past as well."

"All right. We're following you so far." BC nodded. "So what does this have to do with Dita, Meia and Jura being the instruments to heal Slade?"

"I believe that their powers were derived directly from Slade. He once told me about the time he was in the process of transforming during the Paksis Core implosion, which hurled us to the other side of the galaxy and created the Nirvana. My guess is that Paksis, being a Radam device originally, must have reacted in the presence of a Tekkaman. When Slade transformed, the Paksis must have begun carrying out its original programming, which was to create Tekkamen."

"And the only suitable subjects at the time, were Dita, Meia and Jura, correct?" Magno guessed.

"Indeed. However, the Paksis did not have time to create Tekkapods to encase them, when those missiles struck, so I'm speculating that it improvised. It must have shunted some of Slade's energy toward the girls, and at the same time, used whatever materials at hand to create..."

"The Dreads!" BC snapped her fingers in comprehension.

"A very good assumption." Duero agreed. "What other reason could it have to alter their structure and make them compatible with Slade to form the Tekkadreads? You might say that those Dreads had become makeshift Tekkapods."

"So what you're saying..." Magno continued on Duero's line of thought. "... is that every time Slade merged with their Dreads, then the girls were gradually put through the transformation process, until..."

"Until a final catalyst, namely that first battle with those other Tekkamen and Slade's evolution, pushed them over the edge and completed the process. Now, if my theory is correct, they may share the same quantum energy wavelengths as his and they can be used to absorb the Paksis energy and convert it into a form that Slade can accept. However, we need all three of them to collect enough power to restore him, and I cannot even begin to speculate at just what the power infusion of the Paksis energy will do to them. And there just may be other X-factors that I have yet to consider, both to them and Slade."

"So, what you are telling us is that instead of losing one Tekkaman, we might lose four?" Magno asked with concern.

"Yes... that just about covers it. However, time is limited and they had agreed to this procedure. And now, we are reaching the point of no return. Either we begin the process or abort and..."

"... let Slade die? You know that is an outcome that we cannot accept. We shall save him! Understood?"

Duero took a long, tired sigh, then nodded. He then turned to Parfet and

nodded for her to begin the process. She also took a deep breath and threw the activation lever.

The three girls were automatically rolled into the depths of the Paksis Core, via their gurneys, and were then followed by the nearly dead Slade. Everyone present had their fingers crossed and held their breath. The four became obscured from sight as the light from the former Radam power source became brighter.

On the sidelines, Duero turned to Paiway and Parfet, who were manning the consoles. "Status report."

"Energy flow is stable and I am registering three definite collection points." Parfet announced. "Jura, Meia and Dita are absorbing the Paksis energy and are converting it at a rate of 12."

"Life signs are elevated, but are still within acceptable tolerances." Paiway said. "Slade is also starting to show slight improvement in his bio-rhythms."

"Increase energy output to twenty percent." Duero commanded. The two girls nodded their acknowledgement.

For thirty minutes, the process continued without incident and there were a few who became optimistic at the outcome. When an hour had passed, Paiway had announced that Slade was now approaching a near-conscious level of cerebral activity.

However, that was when the battle alert sounded.

"_NO! NOT NOW!_" Magno exclaimed.

Duero shook his head in disgust. The enemy _WOULD_ have to attack at this time! The process to save Slade was too far along to halt now and until it was complete, he would have to buy them the time they needed.

"Parfet! Paiway! Continue the procedure and do not stop for anything!"

He then ran out of the Engineering Section and headed for the nearest airlock. In his right hand he made his Tekkacrystal appear.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

----------

Everyone on board rushed to their battle stations as pilots manned their Dreads and Vanguards. Barnette steeled herself as she strapped into her cockpit and signaled the flight crew that she was ready to launch. Her enhanced Dread was catapulted into space, along with several other teams, plus the Warrior Squadron. She soon saw Tekkaman Razor and Pegas flying alongside her craft as they raced to meet the enemy.

Coming at the defenders of the Nirvana was a huge armada of Spider-Crabs, with the three Radam Tekkamen leading. Each were standing on what looked like grotesque manta rays, as they mimicked Slade riding on Pegas. Behind them were three very strange-looking Spider-Crabs, which were sleeker and much more streamlined then their cousins. In fact, they almost looked like living Dreads. The two forces stopped to face off against each other.

"Well, well, well." Lance sneered as he addressed Duero and Barnette. "If it isn't Razor and Gunner. So you've decided to side with these pathetic weaklings, eh?"

"We were never on your side to begin with!" Barnette shouted back.

"Oh, I'm certain that you will both come around." Rapier said with confidence. "Once we've destroyed the Nivana's crew and bring back Slade's corpse as our trophy. Knowing you sentimental fools, you've probably kept his body for a funeral."

"_NEVER!_" Razor shot back as he tensed up for an attack. "We would rather die than to work for you and Darkon!"

"That can be arranged." Axe said simply as he swung his weapon in a wide arc and loosed an arc of destructive energy.

Razor dodged the attack and the battle began.

----------

As Spider-Crabs began swarming toward the Nivana, Bart began firing at them with the ship's defensive lasers. However, it soon became apparent that the odds were stacked against them. For every one that he destroyed, three more would take his place. The Dreads and Vanguards found themselves hard-pressed to keep up with the onslaught and the ship's defensive screens were less than adequate to protect the vessel for long.

In the Engineering Section, Paiway announced frantically that the life-signs of the three female Tekkamen were beginning to rise beyond the safety zones. At the same time, Parfet became alarmed when the energy transfer was becoming erratic. With some of the power being diverted toward the defense of the ship, she could not maintain a steady power flow. Warning lights on her console lit up and both girls knew that the process was starting to speed out of control.

However, they continued to press on in order to save Slade and the others. Deciding that there was no other option, they went for broke and increased the energy output to maximum.

The Paksis Core seemed to scream out in protest as the light became brighter.

----------

Duero narrowly avoided a chop from Axe, then a stab from Rapier, before being slammed from behind by Lance. Without Slade and the other Tekkamen, Razor found himself being overwhelmed by his adversaries. He had neither the experience nor power to hold out for long against three seasoned opponents. Luckily for him, he had Dread Gunner watching out for him.

Barnette saw him in trouble and swooped in to give him support. A volley of plasma bolts caused the enemy Tekkamen to scatter and Duero used the opportunity to get some distance from them. It was then that he signaled to her that it was time to bring out the big guns. The Dread pilot nodded as she flew toward him and activated certain systems.

In an instant, Tekkaman Razor and Dread Gunner fused together. The Dread swallowed up the cosmic warrior and shifted its form to become a Tekkadread. Ever since rejoining the Nivana, the two had watched battle logs of Slade's combat and had eventually learned the tactics of fusion. They had later renamed their joined form as Tekkadread Blade (1) instead of Carnage. Parfet had tinkered with Barnette's Dread and had altered its appearance. Tekkadread Blade now sported retractable arm blades, plus new thrusters and energy-based projectile launchers.

However, even as Tekkadread Blade began cutting through the hordes of Spider-Crabs, the three Radam fighters went through their own transformations which shocked all those present. One by one, each Tekkaman joined up with the trio of mutated Spider-Crabs, causing them to transform into hideous versions of Tekkadread Meia, Dita and Jura X.

Rapier was now Tekkadread Slash, with deadly claws and energy talons. Her fusion was scarlet-colored and sported a very sleek exterior. She also had several circular disks orbiting about her form.

Axe was in command of Tekkadread Crush with hammerlike fists and a heavily armored body. His new form was dark blue-green and looked as if he was capable of ripping a planet in half.

As for Lance, he became Tekkadread Slice as his new craft was slender, and quick. He sported a kind of beam knife in one hand and had feathery wings mounted on the back.

Things had gotten from bad, to worse, to near-hopeless as the three monstrosities prepared for the kill.

----------

In the Engineering Section of the Nirvana, chaos rained as circuit panels exploded and cables snapped under pressure. Monitors cracked and blew out as the experiment reached its peak. Parfet and Paiway were desperately trying to keep things under control but there was just no stopping it. The entire area trembled and quaked as the Paksis Core gave all of the power it can.

Finally, there was a pitiful whine and the Paksis dimmed back to its regular state. Four figures were expelled from its depths and landed on the floor in front of it. Three of those figures stirred and awakened, while the fourth remained dormant. Then, there was an anguished cry.

"Mr. Alien! Mr. Alien! Wake up!"

Dita cradled Slade's lifeless form in her arms as she shook him, trying to get a reaction, anything at all. However, Slade remained unresponsive.

Jura and Meia crawled toward them and also reached out to him. Meia checked for a pulse while Jura lay her head against his chest and listened for signs of breathing. But there was not even the slightest beat nor intake of breath. And as his body became colder, the three girls could only come to one conclusion.

They had failed.

"No! No! No! Mr. Alien!" Dita shook him even harder, but it was no use.

"Slade, please! Come back to us!" Jura cried out hysterically.

"We can't have failed! We've come so far!" Meia shook her head in denial. "It should have worked! It should have worked!"

The trio became wracked with grief as the reality sank in. Despite their best efforts, Slade had become lost to them... forever. Their sorrow slowly turned into denial, then to frustration, and finally to rage as they felt an overwhelming need to take it out on something.

"He's... gone! He's gone and he's never coming back!" Dita sobbed.

"Those... bastards!" Jura said in anguish. "If it weren't for the Radam always attacking, then Slade would still be with us!"

"It's... it's... all their fault!" Meia said as she showed a more emotional side of her personality. "They'll pay for this! They'll pay!"

The three of them reverently laid Slade's body on the floor and stood up, making their Tekkacrystals appear. Though they were in exhausted states after the failed process, they all cried out together...

"_TEKSETTER!_"

----------

Tekkaman Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond sped out into space to join their comrades in defeating the enemy, and were shocked to see three versions of their old Tekkadreads beating down on Barnette and Duero. However, with their rage and sorrow over the loss of the man they loved spurring them on, the three threw themselves into the fray with reckless abandon. No physical damage could ever match the grief in their hearts. They had done all that they could and they still couldn't save Slade!

Lance, Axe and Rapier were a bit surprised at the ferocity of the three enemy Tekkamen, but they still had the advantage of their mutated Tekkadread forms. With more of the Spider-Crabs coming at the Nirvana on all sides, and the Radam Tekkadreads bearing down on the three girls and Tekkadread Blade, the outcome was appearing more dire by the moment.

----------

On the bridge of the Nirvana, Magno shook her head sadly after being informed of the experiment's failure. Then, as she watched the enemy forces close in on the ship, she let off a resigned sigh.

_So this is how it all ends. We've beaten the odds and have come so far, and now our luck has finally run out. Well, at least we'll all perish together. We'll be seeing you on the other side, Slade..._>

----------

The Engineering Section...

Paiway let a tear roll down her cheek as she began to draw the sheet over Slade's face. The end was near and she could only hope that it would be quick and painless. She had done her best, but it seemed that all of her efforts had been in vain. There was nothing left to do but wait for oblivion. Once the Spider-Crabs breeched the hull, then it would be all over.

They were out of miracles... or so they thought.

Slade's body suddenly glowed with an eerie aura, getting the attention of all those present. Parfet looked down at her scanner and was surprised to be detecting large amounts of energy emanating from what was supposed to be a corpse. Then the supposedly dead Tekkaman sat up.

Slade came to his feet and looked around with a puzzled expression on his face. Then he gazed upon the Paksis Core, then to the shocked expressions of the crewmembers. He then looked down at his right hand, in which his Tekkacrystal appeared in his palm. Holding it aloft, he cried out...

"_TEKSETTER!_"

His body was surrounded by a blinding flash of emerald green light as he became a living comet of power and streaked out of the Nirvana.

----------

Dita, Jura and Meia, along with Razor and Gunner, found themselves surrounded on all sides and were about to meet their maker. Pegas floated nearby, a near-useless wreck after Tekkadread Slice and Slash had torn it apart. The Dread teams and Warrior Squadron had been too occupied by the Spider-Crab hordes to aid their comrades. The Nirvana's defenses were on the verge of collapse. Now, the three agents of Darkon were about to deliver the final blows.

Then Slade appeared on the scene.

"_SLADE!_"

"_MR. ALIEN!_"

"_YOU'RE ALIVE!_"

Axe, Rapier and Lance had not been expecting a foe that was supposed to be dead to appear, but as soon as they saw him, they decided to use their superior forms to destroy him once and for all.

However, Slade did not say a word as he triggered his transformation to Blastor Mode. There were no seizures or bout of intense pain as he assumed his penultimate form. This caused the Radam fighters to pause in their attack as they weren't certain if their Tekkadread forms were sufficient enough to destroy the evolved form of the Tekkaman warrior. Then Slade revealed a new surprise. Looking over to where his comrades were, he zeroed in on the nearest Tekkaman, namely Tekkaman Ruby.

A beam of power burst from Slade and connected with Jura, causing the two of them to be drawn toward each other. The blonde fighter was taken completely by surprise as she found herself being pulled closer to him. Then to her shock, Slade's form was enveloped in a nimbus of blinding light and became transparent. His ghostly form overlapped her own body and she felt a surge of power coursing through her very being. Sections of Slade's white armor began to fuse with her own, making her appear more robust, yet still keeping with her feminine lines. In her mind, she could feel another presence in her consciousness, and knew just who it was as he urged her to accept the union. In one final burst of light, the transformation was complete and a new cosmic warrior was born.

The new Tekkaman was about a foot taller than Tekkaman Blastor and was colored scarlet and white. Jura's blonde hair was no longer visible and the helmet was now framed by winged appendages. The shoulder epaulets were smoother and less angular. The blisters of Jura's armor had been relocated to the sides and legs, while the gauntlets each had a triangular shield on it. In each hand was a Tekkalance.

In a combined voice, he/she spoke...

"_WE... ARE TEKKAMAN BLAZE!_"

----------

On the Nivana's bridge...

"They've... merged! Impossible!" BC exclaimed.

"Tekkaman Blaze, eh?" Magno remarked as she gazed upon the union of Jura and the newly reborn Slade. "Hmmm, I wonder if this is one of those side-effects that Duero had been talking about?"

----------

The Radam fighters couldn't believe it. Every time they had thought they had the upper hand, that blasted Slade would upset their rightful victory. Well, this was going to stop! With that in mind, they aimed all of their weapons on the new warrior and fired.

However, Tekkaman Blaze suddenly put up a barrier that deflected all of the beams and projectiles thrown at him/her. Then he/she let loose with a burst of energy that caused a shockwave that forced them back toward the Spider-Crab hordes. It also caused the Spider-Crabs to cease in their assault on the Nirvana and retreat with the others. Tekkaman Blaze then prepared to let loose with his/her ultimate weapon.

Tekkaman Axe, Lance and Rapier were just recovering from the sudden power surge when they saw the new Tekkaman about attack. His/her shoulder plates slid open to reveal Slade's Mega-Voltekker Units, while at the same time, the gauntlets opened up and the blisters glowed intensely. They could feel the fear in their very beings swell as they saw their ends at hand.

"No... wait!" Lance said in cowardice as he remembered the last time he had faced off Slade. He was frozen with panic as he saw that his Tekkadread's thrusters had been damaged in the shockwave.

Axe and Rapier however, were smart enough to know when to retreat and used their Tekkadread forms to escape, leaving their comrade and the Spider-Crabs to perish.

"No! Don't leave me!" Lance pleaded as he tried to get away. However, that was when Tekkaman Blaze attacked.

"_REACTOR... VOLTEKKER!_" (2)

Blaze let off a huge blast of energy, which scattered out in different directions, once the first targets were hit. This caused widespread destruction over a large section of space as the enemy was annihilated in a series of blasts, each one equal to the Mega-Voltekker. Space was rocked by shockwaves in all directions and not a single Radam fighter was spared, including Lance.

"No... please... _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_"

Tekkadread Slice was vaporized, along with Lance. In an instant, there was nothing left of the arrogant Tekkaman.

It was over.

----------

After the battle...

The crew watched in awe as Tekkaman Blaze landed in the hanger, followed by Diamond, Sapphire, Razor and Barnette. The others immediately transformed back into their human forms, though Duero had to request for something to cover himself up, (since he still hadn't gotten the hang of transforming with his clothes on)> Barnette blushed a bit as she offered him a set of coveralls.

_Wow... so that's what a man really looks like and..._> She glanced down briefly, then really turned crimson as she turned away her gaze. _I mean... wow!_>

As for Blaze, he/she let off several flashes of energy, then suddenly split into Tekkaman Blastor and Ruby. Almost simultaneously, the two assumed their human forms of Slade and Jura. Slade fell to his knees in exhaustion.

Jura, though she too was tired, was overjoyed to see the future ohma to her children alive and well and immediately hugged him. Not wanting to be outdone, Meia and Dita also ran to his side and joined in the group embrace.

"Slade! You're alive!"

"Mr. Alien! I'm so happy!"

"Welcome back!"

The three carried on in their joy for a long while. During that time, Magno and BC entered the hanger and smiled at the sight of him. It seemed that things had worked out.

Then, when the three females paused in their jubilation, Slade finally spoke and said...

"Who... are you?"

This simple question stopped the trio dead in their celebrations as they gave Slade confused looks.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Alien?" Dita asked. "You know us."

Slade paused for a long while, then shook his head. "No... I don't know you. I... don't know anyone here."

Suddenly, there was a period of total silence as everyone tried to make sense of Slade's confusion and their own.

Apparently, something had gone wrong.

----------

The Sick Bay...

"What? He has total memory loss?" BC said after Duero had given his report.

The Tarak man nodded as he continued. "Slade remembers absolutely nothing of his experiences on board this ship or anything else prior to that time. He knows of no one on the Nirvana, or anyone else he has met. He doesn't recognize any part of the ship. I've given him every kind of memory test known and it seems that his mind has been wiped clean. It's as if he's a total stranger to us. I knew that the process to stabilize his cellular condition would have side-effects, but I never dreamed that it would result in a complete loss of his identity. It was quite a shock to find out that he could merge with another Tekkaman, but it seems that something had to be sacrificed in the process."

"Is there no way to have him regain his lost memories?" Magno asked in concern.

"None that I can think of. How ironic. We managed to save Slade, yet in doing so, we lost him. The person we once knew as Slade may be gone... forever."

----------

The Radam Homeworld...

After reading the report given to him by Rapier and Axe, the Radam Warlord came to a decision.

_Hmmm, perhaps I have toyed with the Nirvana and Slade for too long. Lance is gone and this new merged Tekkaman may prove to be a problem. I may have to speed things up and move ahead with my conquest of Mejele and Tarak. As for Slade..._>

He then sent a telepathic message to a certain Tekkaman who had been languishing away in a Tekkapod.

_Saber! Awaken!_>

The crimson Tekkaman aroused from his forced slumber and responded.

_Master?_>

_I have decided to grant your request to receive the power to defeat Slade. However, it will be a long and painful process to achieve the penultimate state of the Tekkaman. It will ultimately mean your death._>

Saber immediately agreed without hesitation. _I don't care about that! I will defeat Slade and if that means that I will die, then so be it!_>

_Very well Saber. Oh, and one more thing you should know about Slade..._>

Saber snorted in disdain as he replied. _Hmpf! If you are talking about my former past, then I already know about that! I learned about it before you locked me in here! That is one of the main reasons why I want to prove to all that I am **BETTER** than Slade, and not some second-rate copy!_>

_I... see. So you know already. So that is the reason behind your desire for revenge and what drives you to this path of self-destruction._>

_I told you before Darkon, I don't care! My connection with Slade is none of your affair! You want me to destroy Slade? Then give me the power to do so and I shall serve you to the end of my existence! Even if it means the end of **MY** life! After I defeat Slade, then I don't care about anything after that!_>

_So the decision is made. Prepare yourself Saber!_>

At that point, screams were heard within the depths of the Radam homeworld as a new threat was being created...

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, just because Slade didn't die now, doesn't mean that things are going any easier. He's lost his memory and now his arch-rival is about to gain even more power.

In the next chapter, the crew of the Nirvana must cope with someone that has become very dear to them, and yet is now a total stranger. Perhaps a planet of telepaths can help Slade finally regain his lost past, and reveal new secrets that will shock everyone to the core. As for Darkon, he will begin his final assault and that means big trouble for everyone. See you then.

(1) Heh, what else would you call it?

(2) Yep, this is the same weapon that Tekkaman Hiver uses in Tekkaman Blade II, but think of it pumped up to the Mega-Voltekker's levels of destruction.


	22. Chapter 10, Part 1: Mindscape

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: How much longer do I have to tell people that Vandread, Tekkaman Blade and Ranma 1/2 do not belong to me?

>: Thoughts

: Telepathic thoughts

**Chapter 10**

**Part 1**

**Mindscape**

As the Nirvana continued on its voyage, a lone figure stood on the observation deck of the Bio-Park and stared out into the endless void of the nebula the ship was traveling through. He was deep in thought and for someone who had just lost his entire memory, that was saying a lot. He did not even notice a certain someone as she came up to him with a tray of food.

"Mr. Alien?"

Slade turned around with a puzzled look on his face. "Who?"

"You, silly! You're Mr. Alien!" Dita replied cheerfully.

"Mr. Alien? That's a funny name. So I'm an alien?" Slade cocked his head to one side and his puzzled expression became more pronounced. "What planet am I from?"

Dita was half-expecting him to get annoyed at being called Mr. Alien, as she had gotten used to that reaction. This new response was a bit unnerving. It was so unlike him to be this... unsure of himself. Just where was the Slade that she knew and loved? It was like talking to a total stranger.

Ever since Slade had recovered from his cellular degeneration and had gained near-total amnesia, Duero had suggested to the crew to try and familiarize the Tekkaman to things that he once knew, in the hopes that it might jog his memory. So far, it had not been successful.

"Here! I made you a batch of your favorite brownies!" The red-haired girl said as she held up a the tray.

Slade continued to look puzzled as he gazed upon the offered food. "Uh... that's great. They smell good. But... don't you think you made too much?"

"What do you mean? You always ate this much and more!"

"I did?" He scratched the back of his head.

"Yes. Don't you remember the last time I made you these? You gobbled them up!"

The cosmic warrior could only shake his head. "No... I don't remember. By the way, who are you?"

"I'm Dita!"

"Oh... Hi. I'm... Mr. Alien."

Dita could only gaze helplessly as she let the tray drop out of her hand and land on the floor of the observation deck with a clatter.

* * *

Another time...

"And these are the plans that we devised together so that the Vanguards and the Dreads could coordinate with each other." Meia stated as she showed Slade some tactical patterns on a monitor.

"Uh... okay. So... how do they work?"

"You should know. You were the one who came up with the basic maneuvers." The normally tough-minded female said.

"Me? I came up with these?"

"You lead the Warrior Squadron."

"I do?"

"Yes! You've been training Xian Pu, Ukyo and the others for months!"

"I have?"

"Yes!" By now, Meia was getting exasperated. Surely he couldn't be _THIS_ dense!

Slade was silent for a long time before finally replying. "So... how did I do that? And by the way, why are you in that dress?"

Meia looked down at herself and blushed furiously. She had purposely put on the white sundress in the hopes that it would help Slade remember. He had commented before that she had looked lovely in it, and she had been waiting for him to say it again.

However, like Dita, her attempts at bringing back his memories had hit a wall.

* * *

The Gym...

_He's **GOT** to remember this!_>

Jura walked seductively into training area where Slade was currently bench-pressing 5 tons. She was dressed in the same tight leotard with leg warmers from before, as she swayed toward the future Ohma of her children.

_Hmmm, I wonder how I got so strong? And why is it that I feel at ease when I'm working out like this?_> The Tekkaman thought as he finished with his reps, then sat up. It was then that he noticed that he wasn't alone.

"Hello there." Jura said in a singsong voice as she leaned forward, which of course allowed Slade to get a good view of her bosom. She had purposely tugged down the plunging neckline of her outfit.

Unfortunately for Jura, Slade did not react as he did before, as he had totally forgotten that she was intent on mating with him. He looked up with an innocent expression, and asked, "And... who are you?"

"You remember me, Slade. I'm Jura, and you're supposed to be helping me to have a baby."

"I am?"

"That's right. You can't say that you've forgotten that!"

"Well, I can't say that I remember ever agreeing to anything." Slade said as he shrugged his shoulders. "And... don't you think that this is all too sudden? I mean, we've only met just a couple of days ago."

"No we haven't! Slade, we've known each other for almost a year now!"

"We have?"

"Yes! Surely you remember this!"

She then leaned forward, framed his head with her hands and gave him one of the hottest, wettest, and most tongue-twisting kisses she had ever given. They remained lip-locked for over a minute and when they finally pulled away, she gave his lower lip a gentle nip, and sucked on it briefly before facing him again. When she saw that slight glint in his eyes, she began to hope that her kiss had been the key to reopening his lost memories. Perhaps... he would finally...?

Slade continued to look puzzled with a bit of lipstick on his mouth. "Uh... so what was that all about? Not that I'm complaining mind you, but don't you think this is going a bit too fast?"

The blonde Tekkaman felt like ripping out her own hair. She was tempted. She was so _TEMPTED_ to just jump on him, tear off his clothes, and do the wild thing nonstop, (she had been studying that video she had seen), until he finally remembered... or got her pregnant. In his current state, he was unlikely to stop her.

However, she didn't.

Though his naiveté was charming in its own way, Jura wanted the old Slade back. She had liked the way he stuttered and tripped on his own feet whenever she made advances toward him. It would have made the conquest ever more satisfying when she finally seduced him. It would have been honest and more meaningful.

Then she had a terrifying thought.

What if he had forgotten _HOW_ babies were made in the old days?

* * *

The Cafeteria...

"It's like talking to a complete stranger." Ukyo the XVII commented as she and Xian Pu ate lunch. "He walks around like a ghost and I've had to teach him how to work his station."

"I know. The only thing that he seems to remember are his martial arts." The Amazon stated. "The doctor told me that Slade seems to have some sort of physical memory ability and his fighting techniques are like a conditioned reflex. He doesn't have to think, he just reacts. But that doesn't help if he can't lead the Warrior Squadron with the tactics that _HE_ made, especially if he can't even remember the codes and signals."

It was then that the okonomiyaki chef thought of something and snapped her fingers. "Hey Xian, you told me once that your Amazon ancestors had some kind of technique that could manipulate memory."

Xian Pu nodded. "Yes. It was called... the Xi Fang Gao Shiatsu Technique, if I remember right. It used some special herbal shampoo and specific pressure points that could erase or restore memories."

"Maybe you can do it on Slade and get his memory back?"

The red-haired warrior shook her head. "It wouldn't work. First of all, the memory-restoring technique only restores memories that were _ERASED_ by the Xi Fang Gao Shiatsu. Secondly, I don't have any Formula 119 and I don't know the pressure points."

"What's Formula 119?"

"It's the shampoo blend-type that was used to restore memory. To erase memory, you use Formula 110. The recipes for mixing both have been lost for centuries, and I only know about the technique from an old diary from my distant ancestor. Her name was Xian Pu as well."

* * *

The Recreation Room...

"Oh, Pyoro 2!"

"I told you, her name is Nodoka." Ezra said with some annoyance as she breast-fed her daughter. She wished that the Navi-robot would stop thinking that her child belonged to him. He had nothing to do with her birth and most certainly was not related to her in any way.

"Her name is..."

"Oh hello Slade." Ezra said in a singsong voice.

Pyoro stopped in his tracks the moment he heard that name. He quivered a bit as he slowly turned around and expected to be knocked across the room by the Tekkaman. However, to his and Ezra's surprise, Slade simply walked past them without even noticing them.

"Slade?" Ezra called out to him.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder to her. "Uh... are you talking to me?"

"Why of course, silly. Now would you please tell Pyoro my daughter's name is _NOT_ Pyoro 2?"

"Really? That's an odd name for a baby. So what is her real name?"

"You named her."

"I did?"

"Yes!"

"Okay... so what did I name her?"

Ezra couldn't believe it. The rumors about Slade having near-total amnesia were true and now she had Pyoro constantly insisting that Nodoka belonged to him and was named Pyoro 2.

* * *

Later...

"I can't stand it any more!" Jura lamented as she and the others were gathered in the Conference Room. "I want Slade back!"

"Calm down Jura." Magno said tiredly. "We all want him back, but things like this take time."

"Time is not a luxury that we have to spare, especially since we are nearing Tarak and Mejele. And there is a chance that Slade's memory may never come back." Duero pointed out. Though he hated to be the bearer of bad news, as a doctor he had to be objective and give all relevant facts. "However, I believe that Slade's memories may still exist somewhere in his innermost psyche. The problem is that we don't know where to look. Though I do know of a procedure that just might help..."

"Really? What is it?" Dita asked hopefully.

"Mind you, this sort of process is not normally taught at the Academy." The Tarak man replied. "I only learned about it after going through the medical logs. There has been one instance in which a person was able to regain his memory after suffering a traumatic experience. This was done completely by accident, and it hasn't been duplicated since, but the process was recorded."

"Explain." BC queried.

"Well, if I read the report correctly, a small boy on Tarak had slipped into a deep coma and was in danger of suffering brain damage. In an attempt to preserve his memories and keep him from mental instability, one of our scientists decided to experiment with a new device, which allowed another person's brainwaves to synchronize with the boy's. It was called..."

At that moment, an urgent message was sent to the main monitor of the Conference Room. One of the bridge crew informed the captain that they had arrived at a planet that had been hidden within the nebula. The inhabitants had hailed the Nirvana on the communications station and asked specifically if Slade was aboard.

* * *

The bridge...

"Ghaleon Viperson?" Magno was quite surprised to see the Tekkaman of Mission Delta Six.

"Hello again, Nirvana. Fancy meeting all of you here." The silver-haired youth smiled as he greeted his friends on the main monitor.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were protecting the Mission."

Tekkaman Phantom shrugged. "I can't protect a place that isn't there anymore."

"What?"

"It's a long story and I'll be happy to tell you all about it. Can you guys come down to the planet? There's some people I'd like you to meet and I want to discuss some things with Slade. By the way, how's he doing?"

Magno was a bit at a loss at how to answer.

* * *

An hour later, on the planet's surface...

Ghaleon smiled as he and a group of people came to meet the Nirvana's landing party. The individuals he was with included the former leader of the Mission, Rebecca, and two men who were dressed like Rabat. One was in his late twenties, while the other was far older and looked like an ancient Native American shaman.

The old man smiled as he saw Slade and stepped forward. He nodded to the Tekkaman, and then to the surprise of the Nirvana's crew, his voice was heard in everyone's head.

**It is good to see you again, Slade.**

Slade was by far the most shocked to hear his voice in his head. "Huh? How'd you do that? I didn't see your mouth move."

The Shaman was somewhat puzzled by Slade's reaction. **What do you mean? You know that we developed a way to speak with our minds when the Harvesters took our voices. You were here on our world a year ago. Surely, you can't have already forgotten?**

Magno nodded as she understood that the inhabitants of this world were telepaths. She addressed the Shaman. "I'm afraid that he has forgotten... everything."

* * *

After a long and detailed exchange of information, both sides were both brought up to date on the past few months. They were all gathered in the main conference hall of the village, which was cut into the side of a large mesa.

"So the Mission was destroyed and all of you ended up on this planet four months ago?" BC asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "That's right. We were chased across the galaxy by the Radam and barely managed to escape them by entering this nebula. It was lucky for us that these people were here to help us out. We were almost out of food, medical supplies and power packs. I don't think we would have made it without their aid."

"Yeah." Ghaleon agreed. "And they helped me out a lot too."

"How?" Duero asked.

"They helped me overcome my problem with the thirty-minute time limit. Thanks to their mental training, I don't lose control over my Tekkaman form any more. Even if I stay in it longer than half an hour." He then snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "Hey, maybe they can help Slade and his memories too!"

The Tarak doctor considered the idea, then addressed the Shaman. "It does sound feasible. With what I've seen so far, your people do possess some considerable psychic ability. Perhaps...?"

The old man shook his head and mentally replied. **It is not as easy as one might think, Mr. McFile. With Ghaleon, it was a simple matter to quell the rage and battle-lust of his Tekkaman form. However, with Slade, the task is far more difficult. There is no reference or starting point, in which one could use. It would be like exploring a totally uncharted world. You must understand that a person's innermost psyche is like a universe in itself and there are parts of one's being that he may not even be aware of. That is doubly true in Slade's case.**

"Explain."

**When he first came to our world, he was quite lost, both physically and emotionally. When we probed him, we discovered that a large part of his spiritual being was missing... hidden deep within his own mind. None of our techniques were able to coax it out. What you knew of as Slade only represented a minor portion of his inner self. It was all that he had. Now, he does not even possess that much. There is nothing to start with. The entirety of his soul now drifts in Limbo.**

"You're being very vague." The Tarak doctor commented. "Could you be more precise in your descriptions? If I knew some values, some figures to start off with, then perhaps..."

The Shaman let off a sound that resembled a muffled chuckled, though with no larynx, it was hard to tell. **I wish I could, but even we could not even begin to know where to look for Slade's memories, and we have made numerous attempts before. If we had some kind of link to his inner self... then perhaps we would know which direction to search...**

The Nirvana landing party looked at one another with expressions of worry and uncertainty. Among them, Slade stood in silence.

* * *

Later, on the Nirvana...

"Hello Misty, how's it going?" Ezra asked as she sat down opposite to her in the cafeteria. In her arms, little Nodoka slept.

The fourteen-year-old sighed as she twiddled her spoon in her mashed potatoes. She did not respond to Ezra as she continued to stare at her uneaten meal. Her holographic friend Q-chan appeared on her shoulder and mimicked its master's mood.

"Misty? Is everything all right?" The normally quiet female pressed.

Finally, after a long stretch of silence, Misty responded. "I was thinking... when the Nirvana heads out of the nebula... you can just leave me behind on this planet."

This caught Ezra by surprise. "What? Are you serious? Why would you want to do that? You're a part of the crew."

"Am I? Do I really belong on this ship?"

"I should think so. I mean, you fit right in as a bridge operator and..."

The blue-haired girl shook her head. "That's not what I meant, Ezra. What I'm trying to say is that I feel so... lonely on the Nirvana. I mean, I was in that cryo-pod for more than sixty-three years. Everything and everyone that I knew is gone and I find myself in a place where things are totally different from what I grew up with. No offense to anyone or your planets, but this all-female, all-male stuff is really weird to me. I thought that I'd never find anyone who could understand me... until I met Slade..."

"I see."

"Yeah, he was the _ONLY_ person who understood! I really wanted someone who knew what I knew, and I thought that maybe... he and I could..." Misty lowered her head in sadness. "But he never saw me as anything more than just a friend. And the more I tried to get close to him, the further we got. And I couldn't compete with Jura, Meia and Dita, especially when they became Tekkamen. Now, Slade doesn't even remember me. So where does that leave me?"

"Misty... I never knew... I..."

The young girl sighed as she shook her head. "It's okay Ezra. I shouldn't have expected Slade and me to go together, just because he knew about how things were between men and women." She pushed her tray aside. "I've been thinking about this for a long time now. And I heard that the people on that planet know about the old ways, so... maybe I can find my place there..."

"Misty... I..."

The fourteen-year-old, (technically 77), said nothing more as she got up and walked off.

* * *

In the Nirvana's Sick Bay...

"What is this?" BC asked as she, the captain and others crowded around two strange devices that looked like cryo-pods, but were modified near the head regions with sensor panels and energy emitters. Slade was not present at the time.

"The Cerebral Wavelength Synchronizer." Duero explained. "You do remember when I said that on Tarak, there was a device that was invented to allow a person to regain his memories after a traumatic experience? Well, this is it. It took some doing for Parfet's engineers to construct a working model."

"And this will help Slade remember who he was?" Magno asked.

"Possibly. In the only recorded instance, an old man's brainwaves were synchronized with a young boy's when the child suffered brain damage and near-total amnesia. The process allowed the boy to recover all of his memories and the tissue trauma was repaired."

"Then let's use it!" Jura said excitedly. "I'll do it!"

Duero shook his head. "Not so fast, Jura. The boy recovered, but the old man died as a result. That was the main reason why this project was abandoned. Plus there is an added danger that the person who synchronizes with Slade may end up like him, provided that he or she survived the process. Synchronizing two separate brainwaves is a tricky business and intermingling thoughts can result in mental instability, emotional stress or even permanent insanity. Still interested in volunteering?"

Jura was taken aback by this news, though she, Dita and Meia were intent on helping Slade.

"So if it's that dangerous, why did you have it built?" Magno asked.

The Tarak man nodded as he replied. "I was initially reluctant to suggest this type of action, but that was before we met our telepathic friends." He gestured to the shaman of the psychics. "With their expertise, the person who synchronizes with Slade will have additional mental support and guidance through his subconscious. The telepaths will also be able to keep the volunteer's mind from intermixing too deeply with Slade's. And, I believe that the person who enters his mind, should be someone who has a close psychological rapport with him. That would be either Jura, Meia or Dita, considering that they all share similar bio-rhythms."

Meia nodded as she stepped forward. "I'll do it."

"What do you mean? I'll save Mr. Alien!" Dita said as she also stepped forward.

"Oh no! I'll do it!" Jura interjected.

The three began to argue among themselves as each tried to convince the doctor that she would be the perfect volunteer.

* * *

Later...

Both Jura and Dita stood with expressions of jealously and disappointment as they watched Meia being strapped into one of the Synchronizer Pods. Beside her in the other pod, Slade was already sedated and sleeping peacefully. It had been decided that Meia had the most disciplined mental state and was therefore chosen to be synchronized with the Tekkaman. Sitting nearby, the telepathic shaman leader was prepared to guide Meia's mind through Slade's subconscious.

"It's not fair! I wanted to do it!" Dita pouted.

"So did I, but if it brings Slade's memories back, then I guess it doesn't matter." Jura let off a sigh. "Though I would have _LOVED_ to see just what goes on in Slade's mind."

At that point, Duero was giving last-minute instructions to Meia.

"Now remember, if things start to get intense, then we will pull your mind out of Slade's. The shaman should be able to guide you through Slade's subconscious and find his memories, as well as keep your own psyche stable. Be careful. We have no idea just what you might encounter in his inner mind."

"Understood." Meia said as she began to feel the effects of the sedative. In seconds she was asleep as the doctor instructed Parfet in working the control panel. He still couldn't touch anything or anyone without causing damage with his super-strength. He wondered just how Slade and the others managed to keep such power in check.

"Begin brainwave scan."

The bespectacled girl nodded as she started the process. "Okay, here goes."

Both pods let off simultaneous hums as they powered up. In Meia's pod, her mind was being merged with Slade's. On her forehead, a small spark of light appeared and flickered. It was a tiny white dot in which no one noticed. And in Slade's pod, a miniscule green mark also appeared.

No one in the Sick Bay noticed as the process continued. Sitting cross-legged and in deep meditation, the shaman used his psychic ability to ease Meia's mental journey into Slade's inner being.

"Brainwave activity stable... beginning synchronization..." Parfet said as she began matching the thoughts of the two Tekkamen.

Off to one side, Jura began feeling a twinge of pain as she brought one hand up to rub her right temple.

"Is something wrong Jura? Ow!" Dita asked, then she felt a pang of pain in her own head. On both of their foreheads, red and blue lights appeared. Each light then took the shape of their Tekkacrystals. In the pods, the lights on Slade and Meia also took the forms of their crystals.

At the control console, Duero became puzzled when the readouts began showing some odd figures. Parfet was also in a state of confusion.

"What's going on, Parfet?"

"I don't know!" The engineer said. "One minute, I'm reading two separate brainwaves, and now I'm showing four!"

"That's impossible. Slade and Meia should be the only two. Where are those other brainwaves coming from? Shut down the process!"

"Too late! The brainwaves are in a state of final synchronization! I can't stop it now!"

The shaman's brow furrowed as he bore the brunt of the additional psychic energies, but managed to convey them all into Slade's being. There was a tremendous flash of light as both pods whined and then fell silent.

That was when Jura and Dita collapsed on the floor and became unconscious.

* * *

Somewhere... in Slade's mind...

Meia felt an odd feeling as she found herself floating in a place that was hazy and full of shadows. She wondered if this was what the inside of a person's mind was like. Then suddenly, it got bright and she found herself falling. She landed hard on her rear on the ground.

"Ow!"

She rubbed her sore posterior and stood up. She looked about and saw that she was in a place that could only be described as... weird. The landscape was strewn with odd shapes and colors. And coming out from the ground were strange tendrils that resembled vines or ropes. Every now and then, flashes of light would appear across the multi-colored sky. It was chaos in its purest form, and it was not at all what she expected to see. And then, she saw them.

"Hey Meia!"

"Where are we?"

The blue-haired girl's eyes widened as she beheld her two compatriots. "What the! What are you two doing here!"

Jura shrugged as she replied. "I don't know. One minute, I was watching you and Slade in the Sick Bay... the next minute I get one really big headache, and I find myself here."

"Me too!" Dita chirped.

It was then that they all heard Duero's voice echoing around them.

"Meia! Can you hear me?"

The three girls looked about for the good doctor but could not see him anywhere.

"Yes! We can hear you! Where are you?" Meia cried out.

* * *

The Sick Bay...

Duero nodded as he spoke into the console's audio emitter. "I'm where you left me, in the Sick Bay. The shaman is setting up a kind of psychic link to allow me to communicate with you inside of Slade's mind. Are you all right? Can you describe to me what's going on in there? And why did you say 'we' can hear you?"

Nearby, Paiway and two other crewmembers were tending to the unconscious forms of Dita and Jura.

* * *

"I don't know how, but Jura and Dita are in here _WITH_ me." Meia replied. "I don't understand Doctor. I thought I was the only one who was going to synchronize with Slade."

* * *

"Hmmm, I wonder if this has anything to do with them being unconscious..." The physician pondered for a while, then addressed his apprentice. "Paiway, can you do a cerebral scan on Dita and Jura? Give me a reading."

The young doctor-in-training nodded as she took out a small device and waved it over Jura's forehead, then Dita's. She then looked at the readout and said, "I'm getting a reading of 0.0475 on the delta wave frequencies. It's like they both went from full consciousness to near-comas instantly. I'm not picking up any signs of physical trauma or anything that might have caused them to be this way."

Parfet then looked at the psycho-scanner and exclaimed, "Wait a second! Did you say point-zero-four-seven-five on the delta wave frequency? That's exactly the frequency that Meia's brainwaves are synchronized with Slade's!"

Magno and Buzom were also shocked to hear this news.

"Fascinating." Duero commented. "I've always suspected that Slade and these three girls shared some kind of psychic bond, considering that Dita, Meia and Jura's powers were derived from Slade's. However, I never imagined that their connection to him would be this deep. It could be that the Synchronizer and the shaman's telepathic ability amplified the connection." _Then again, that could be the same for me and Barnette._> He mentally added.

"So you're saying that they're now _ALL_ in Slade's mind?" Magno queried.

"That's about the size of it." Duero answered. "Now separating four brainwaves instead of two will present a considerable problem."

The shaman decide to speak. "Indeed, but I suggest that we focus on the task at hand. We must first locate Slade's true self. We shall deal with the other problem afterwards."

"Agreed."

"Now then, instruct them to imagine a hill and begin climbing it."

"A hill?"

**It is the mind we are dealing with, correct? Therefore, one needs only to _THINK_, in order to make it real. And all things must begin with the first step. We must start from the bottom and work our way up.**

* * *

"A hill?" Jura wondered after Duero relayed the message.

"That's what the shaman said. He says that you need to imagine a hill and start climbing it." Duero responded.

The three females looked at each other for a while, nodded simultaneously and closed their eyes. Sure enough, a slope appeared before them and they started to walk upward.

After what seemed to be hours, the slope leveled off and the trio looked about at their surroundings. Everywhere seemed to be a jumble of strange forms and colors. There was no real way of telling if they were going in the right direction or wandering aimlessly.

Dita looked about in awe and decided to investigate one of the many tendrils which was strewn haphazardly all over the landscape. She slowly reached out and touched one of them.

In an instant she saw a brief, intense image in her mind. She immediately withdrew her hand.

"Wow! What was that?"

She reached out and touched the tendril again. This time she did not withdraw her hand. She smiled as she recognized the image of Slade in his Tekkaman armor as he fused with her Dread.

"Hey! I remember that!"

Jura and Meia walked over to where she was standing.

"What are you doing, Dita?" Meia asked.

"I think I may have found one of Mr. Alien's memories! Touch this!"

The two girls did so and were similarly amazed to see what Dita had witnessed. They went off in different directions and started to touch other tendrils.

Jura winced a bit after seeing a scene of her first Tekkadread's form. "I always hated that form! The second one was better!"

Meia saw a scene of herself in her white sundress and blushed. Then she turned back to her companions. "I think these... things must be... like threads of Slade's memories... sort of like recordings."

"Hey, maybe I can find more of me in here!" Dita said excitedly as she began checking out more of the tendrils. However, Meia reached out and grabbed the red-haired girl's right arm.

"Hold on, Dita! We can't just go running off in his mind! We need to collect his memories and bring Slade back."

"Meia's right." Duero said through the communicator. "You can't go wandering about in his psyche and randomly finding brief periods of his personal history. Just looking for memories that you've shared with him is not enough. You have to find the source of what makes Slade who he is."

"I don't understand. I thought we were here to help Slade remember us." Jura said.

"The shaman tells me that we need to find Slade as a whole, not just the part that we remember. I know it sounds more philosophical than scientific, but this procedure is unorthodox and I believe what he is referring to is Slade's... soul, his spirit, the intangible... something that makes him unique. We need Slade to remember not just us, but himself as well."

The trio were even more confused and were about to ask where to go, when Jura noticed a light off to her left and pointed to it.

"Hey, why don't we try over there?"

"Why?" Dita asked.

Jura shrugged again. "Why not? It's not like we know where else to go, right?"

Meia couldn't argue with the logic as she and Dita followed the blonde's lead. Unknown to them, a shadowy figure was hiding behind a nearby tendril and was watching them intently.

* * *

Some time later...

"How long have we been walking?" Dita inquired.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Meia said. "It's hard to tell time in this place and we still haven't found anything that remotely resembles Slade's 'soul.' I don't know even what to look for."

In front of them, Jura suddenly stopped and looked around. She turned around to face her friends. "Do feel something?"

"Huh?" Dita replied. "What do you mean?"

"I'm... not sure. I've been getting the feeling that... someone's been following us."

"Are you sure? I mean, who else would be in Slade's mind besides us?" Meia asked.

"Uhhhh... me?"

The three girls turned to face the new voice and were surprised to see Slade hiding behind a tendril and quivering. He was dressed in a pale yellow-colored version of his usual clothes, and he had a very meek expression on his face.

"Mr. Alien!" Dita immediately tackled him to the ground and hugged him tight.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_" Slade cried out in fear as he tried to get out of her embrace. He scrambled out of her arms and cowered behind a tendril. He shivered like a leaf as he peeked around the tendril and said, "Keep away, you scare me!"

To the girls, this was a first. Since when was Slade afraid of anyone, let alone Dita?

"Meia? What's going on? I thought I heard Slade's voice. Did you find him?" Duero asked.

"Uh... I think so." Meia didn't know quite to make of it. This person looked like Slade, but didn't act like him.

Just then, another figure appeared behind them and cried out.

"_HEY BABY! GIMMEE A KISS!_"

Jura was caught totally off guard when someone grabbed her by the waist, turned her around and lip-locked with her. Her eyes widened in shock then closed in absolute joy as she realized she was kissing Slade. A red-colored Slade, but a Slade nevertheless.

"Mmmmmmmmm!"

Meanwhile, Dita was trying to coax the yellow-colored Slade out from behind the tendril.

"Oh come on Mr. Alien! It's me, Dita!"

"Stay away!" Pink Slade said as he cringed even further from her.

Meia stood in confusion as one Slade cowered in terror and another continued his osculation with Jura.

"Just what is going on?" She said to no one in particular. To her surprise, someone answered.

"Looks like the end... I knew it."

Meia turned about to see a blue-colored, sad-looking Slade. Then, just as she was about to address the newcomer, another Slade appeared behind him and whacked him upside the head. This one was colored purple.

"You know how depressing you always make me! I am sick and tired of your whining all the time!"

"Hey, lay off! What did he ever do to you?" A dark green Slade said as he came to his counterpart's aid.

An orange Slade, (this one with spectacles), also made an appearance. "Indeed. Resorting to violence as a first and only measure, begets more violence and in the end, destroys the question itself before reaching any solutions."

"And just remember, that it takes two to tango, three to make a conga line, and only one to do the twist." A brown Slade pointed out.

The orange figure stared at his opposite half with confusion. "Just what does that have to do with anything?"

The brown Slade shrugged. "Hey, when in Rome, do as the Greeks do."

A gray Slade came into view behind Meia and let loose with one _HUGE_ belch.

"_UUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPP!_"

A pink Slade then came to chide him. "At the very least, you could have said excuse me!"

At that point, Dita was lightly tapped on her back. She turned to see a smiling, magenta Slade, as he quickly embraced her.

"_DITA!_ Mr. Alien is _SO_ glad to see you!"

A light green Slade started to insistently tap on red Slade's shoulder as he continued to liplock with Jura.

"Aw c'mon! When do I get a chance?"

Nearby, two Slades, one white and one black, were pounding the living daylights out of each other. Then more Slades appeared, each one colored in a different hue and acting differently. They began arguing among each other and the three found themselves in a sea of Slades.

"What the heck are you doing!"

"Hey! Where's the party?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Uh... excuse me?"

"You guys are so lame!"

"Will you just shut up!"

"Please, can't we all get along?"

* * *

In the Sick Bay, Duero became more concerned as Parfet announced that Slade's brainwaves were getting erratic. Furthermore, it was becoming harder to distinguish the brain patterns of the three females. It was if they were becoming swamped by the intensity of Slade's mental activity.

"Doctor!"

"Meia! What's going on?" The Tarak man said through the audio transmitter.

"I don't know! Suddenly, we surrounded by dozens of Slades!"

"Dozens of Slades?"

The shaman nodded as he determined the cause of the confusion. **Ah, it seems that they have found many pieces of Slade's whole.**

* * *

"Many pieces of Slade's whole? What's that supposed to mean?" Meia wondered after Duero had relayed the message. She gazed upon the crowd of Slades that surrounded them and then realized what the shaman was getting at. "Dita! Jura! I figured it out!"

Dita came over to Meia after she broke away from the yellow Slade. As for Jura, though she hated to stop kissing the red Slade, she too went over to the former Dread Leader.

"What is it?" The blonde asked.

"Yeah, why are there so many Mr. Aliens?"

Meia nodded as she explained. "The shaman said that these... people are pieces of Slade's whole. What I think is that each one represents a different part of Slade's personality. The yellow must be his shyness, while the red one is his spontaneity... or his... lust." She blushed furiously after saying it.

"I _LIKE_ that one!" The voluptuous Tekkaman remarked. "Now why couldn't we see more of him?"

"I get it!" Dita said. "The blue one is sad. The magenta one is happy. The green one is jealously. And the gray one..."

"Exactly!" Meia nodded, cutting her off. "And I think that the reason why Slade can't remember us or anything else, is because all of these... pieces are scattered about in his mind. If we could bring them all together, then maybe Slade will get his memory back."

* * *

"That's sounds like a reasonable hypothesis." Duero spoke from the Sick Bay. "However, there are many properties to a person's personality and I don't have any idea of how you are going to gather them all up."

**They already possess the key.** The shaman stated telepathically. **After all, the three were able to enter into Slade's inner world.**

Duero pondered the statement then snapped his fingers. "Meia... Dita... Jura! You three must have some kind of connection to Slade's inner being. It's probably the reason why all of those sides of his personality were drawn to you. If you all concentrate and focus on everything you know about him, then perhaps you can get those sides to merge."

* * *

Inside Slade's mind...

"It sounds like a really crazy idea." Jura stated. "So how are we going to do this?"

It was then that Dita got an idea. "Hey! Maybe we can get Mr. Alien back with this!" She raised her right arm and made her blue Tekkacrystal appear.

"How did you do that?" Meia asked.

Dita shrugged. "Remember Mr. Doctor said that we only had to think to make stuff real in here? I just thought of my crystal and well..."

The other two girls nodded and brought out their own Tekkacrystals. They held them aloft and the Slades responded, by making their own crystals appear. More Slades appeared before them and made their crystals appear. Soon, an infinite number of Slades were present. A minute later, a flash of light engulfed the entire area, blinding all in its brilliance. A heartbeat afterward, the light was gone and only four people remained... Meia, Dita, Jura... and one Slade.

The remaining Slade shook his head to clear it and made his emerald Tekkacrystal disappear. He was dressed in his usual garb and was normally colored. He looked toward the girls and smiled. "Hey Dita... Meia... Jura... what are you three doing here?"

"You... remember us... Mr. Alien?" Dita asked tentatively.

"Of course I remember you... though I really wish you'd stop calling me Mr. Alien. It's getting really old and... _ERK!_"

Slade was immediately hugged by three joyous females. All three began crying and going on about how glad they were that he was back. The trio threatened to squeeze the life out of him, and he had to forcibly break loose from their embrace.

"Whoa! Not that I'm complaining, but what was that all about?"

"Oh Slade! It's good to have you back!" Jura said happily. "You remember us!"

"Mr. Alien! I'm so glad you're you again!" Dita jumped up and down.

"Welcome back Slade." Meia said, trying to keep her composure, but her eyes were watery.

"Uh, sure... I'm glad to be back, though I can't say I remember going anywhere. Last thing I recall was fighting that Radam battleship and blacking out, but that's about it."

"So you remember everything?" Meia inquired. "The time you first met us? The time we were thrown across the galaxy? And when you came to Tarak?"

"Yeah, I remember all of that, though I still can't recall anything before that and..."

It was then that the four of them noticed a dark, shadowy area just over the horizon. It was accentuated by periodic flashes of light and had a foreboding presence emanating from it.

"Mr. Alien? What is that place?" Dita asked.

Slade shrugged. "I don't know. I never went there before. I never could get close enough to it. Every time I tried, it would block me out and I'd feel some kind of cold sensation. So I left it alone."

"Do you think that place may be where to find all of your lost memories? The ones about your unknown past?" Meia asked.

"I don't know. It could be." Slade answered.

"So why don't we go find out?" Jura suggested. "The doctor did say that we needed to find every bit of your soul, right?"

The other two girls nodded as they began to head toward the darkened area. Slade soon followed and the four of them disappeared into the shadowy realm of the Tekkaman's psyche.

* * *

In the Sick Bay, Duero became alarmed.

"I can't separate their brainwave patterns!" Parfet cried out. "They've gone too far into Slade's subconscious!"

"Meia! Dita! Jura! Can you hear me?" Duero tried to raise them on the console, but all he got was static. He began to worry that the girls were now lost in Slade's inner-being with no way to get them out.

The shaman however, continued to remain calm as he spoke. **Do not fear. They are safe and shall return, with _ALL_ of Slade. They are nearing the end of their journey into his soul...**

* * *

"I don't like this place!" Dita said as she and the others continued on their way through the deepest and most foreboding part of Slade's mind. It was if the shadows were alive and were trying to smother them in an endless black void. Though she had stopped being afraid of the dark when she was six-years-old, this blackness was more fearful than any childhood nightmare she ever had.

Though Meia wouldn't admit it openly, she too was unnerved by the shadows and hoped that they would find that part of Slade's soul for him to be complete. She was curious as to what he was like before she had met him. However, to have that missing part of his being trapped within a place such as this, had to mean that something intense must have happened to him. Something so terrible, that he shunned that portion of his life and memories away. She began to feel the sorrow and pain that she felt when she was younger. She also felt that familiar sense of anxiety as the shadows seemed to close in on her, and her claustrophobia began to surface. Meia began to suspect that what she was experiencing was somehow connected to this place and Slade's lost past. She wondered just what had happened to make him want to deny this part of his inner self and affect her in such a way.

For Jura, she put on a brave front, so that the others wouldn't realize that she was scared out of her wits. Something about this place was making her feel the fear she had gone through in her younger years. During her time in grade school, she had actually been a plain-looking child, and was the butt of many practical jokes by the other children. Though she had toughed it out and eventually blossomed into the beauty that she was now, the fear of loneliness and never being noticed had stayed with her. She always wanted fame and recognition since then, and until the time she met Slade, that was her only concern. She clung to his arm for reassurance that she wasn't alone and there was at least one person who thought of her as someone special.

As for Slade, he couldn't help but keep scratching at the scar on his left eye and cheek. For some reason, this area of his subconscious was connected to the wound. Then, as they neared the center of the shadow, red dots of light began appearing all around them.

The White Tekkaman felt a cold shiver travel down his spine. As the lights neared, he began to realize why he was feeling this way. He had experienced this many times before, in that same recurring nightmare. And he wasn't the only one. Due to their bond with him, the three girls had also witnessed this particular scene in their dreams. The shadows became darker, as those crimson lights drew ever closer. Then the four could see that those lights were actually eyes, which had a kind of savage and hungry look about them.

Then, without warning, the eyes flashed and swarmed upon them like a school of ravenous piranha. A kind of yowling was heard, and the four cried out in shock and pain as unseen claws and teeth began scratching and tearing at them. Though this was all in their minds, (or in this case, Slade's mind), the terror was all too real for them.

For Slade, he began to reach his breaking point of mental sanity, as an intense and horribly familiar sensation of fear tried to force its way into his psyche. He knew that he had experienced this before and he wanted nothing more than for it to stop. Finally, he could take no more and let it all out.

"_STOP IT!_"

His aura flared like a small nova, blinding his three companions, but also driving away the darkness. The shadows revealed feline forms as they scurried away from him and disappeared into the landscape. The yowling stopped and all became silent as Slade powered down. He looked at the girls and were glad to see them no worse for wear, then heard... him.

"_ROWR!_"

They all turned around and saw a small boy several meters away from them. He was in a crouching position on all fours. The youth was wearing a torn and bloodied gi and was barefoot. He had dozens of cuts all over his body, but what really stood out was a large gash over his left eye and cheek.

Slade reached up toward the scar on his own face, then realized that the boy was...

"Mr. Alien! He looks like you, only little!" Dita gasped as she saw a striking resemblance.

Meia nodded as she also made the connection. "So, this was you when you were young?"

Jura could only look in awe. So this is what her future children's ohma looked like when he was a child? If it weren't for all the injuries, he would have been considered adorable, even by Mejele standards. Then she started to wonder what her own children would look like after Slade had fathered them.

"_HISS! FFFFTTT!_" The boy continued to regard the group as potential enemies as he prepared to spring. His hands curled into claws and powered up.

"Mr. Alien? Why are you... I mean, why is he acting like a cat?" Dita was reminded of the pet cat she had as a little girl.

Slade began to see scenes in his mind and knew that his long-lost past was finally coming back to him. He looked back down at his previous self and motioned for the others to get back. He recognized the stance the boy was in.

"_ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_"

As soon as the cat-boy launched himself at his future self, Slade immediately let loose with a quantum energy blast. He used only enough to stun the wild child. As his younger self landed on his back in a daze, Slade pinned him down and their eyes locked with each other. It was extremely difficult as the boy possessed a strength that went beyond belief. The Tekkacrystal symbol on Slade's forehead appeared as he continued to restrain the lad.

There was a long stretch of silence as Meia, Jura and Dita waited for the outcome.

Finally, the boy stopped struggling as his animalistic nature faded away. His eyes no longer reflected that of a cat's, but as a human being's. He looked up in wonder at his own, older face. At the same time, his older self stared down at his youthful counterpart. Then at last, the silence was ended as Slade asked the boy...

"Who are you?"

The boy smiled at bit as he replied. "Ranma."

Then a bright light enveloped them all.

* * *

The Sick Bay...

"Huh?" Parfet was surprised to see all four brainwaves on her monitor suddenly separate on their own. "Now how did that happen?"

The shaman smiled as he came out of his trance and got up. **It is done.**

To Duero's amazement, Meia, Jura, and Dita regained consciousness simultaneously. He looked over to the control console with a questioning expression. Parfet could only shrug and shake her head. She hadn't even touched the controls, and they had come out of near-comas on their own. The captain and BC were similarly puzzled. Then all eyes turned to Slade.

The person in question sat up and shook his head to clear it. He was silent as he stroked the scar on his face.

"Slade?" Magno inquired with a slightly trembling tone.

"Ranma."

The ancient captain felt as if she was having a stroke when she heard that.

"What... did you say?"

"I remember now. My name is... Ranma Saotome."

To be continued...

Author's notes

Well, that was certainly a long one! For those of you who are wondering about the mind search, I was inspired after watching Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Plus I also got some extra inspiration from Alex Burgos, Mike Silva and a few other pre-readers. Listed below are the different aspects of Slade's personality.

In the next part, Slade must now come to terms with the memories of his former life as Ranma Saotome, and we will finally discover the connection between him and Magno. I've received a lot of theories from my readers, but only one has guessed right. We'll see the repercussions of Slade's rediscovery of his past and not all of it will be positive. In the meantime, Darkon will begin preparations for his final assault as this story nears its climax. See you then!

Happiness/humor - magenta (always cheerful and laughing)

Sadness - blue (does nothing but mope and cry)

Love/lust - red (will flirt with and hit on anyone of the opposite sex)

Fear/shyness - yellow (too scared to be around anything, antithesis to Bravery)

Anger/rage - purple (always pissed off about something and is pretty violent)

Intelligence/wisdom - orange (bespectacled and reading, spouts out logical phrases)

Bravery/confidence - dark green (very gung-ho and faces off against anything)

Rudeness - gray (just plain sloppy, insensitive, and is the foot-in-mouth instigator)

Kindness/courtesy - pink (very polite, consoling, and pacifistic, Kasumi would be proud, tries to fix up Rudeness)

Weirdness/idiocy - brown (just the way it sounds, gets on Intelligence's nerves)

Envy/jealousy - green (demanding of anything and everything, mostly at odds with Love)

Cruelty - black (dark side of Slade, Yang)

Purity - white (light side of Slade, Yin)


	23. Chapter 10, Part 2: Finally Here’s Ranma...

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread all belong to their blah, blah, blah...

>: Thoughts

: Telepathic communication

**Chapter 10**

**Part 2**

**Finally... Here's Ranma!**

"Hmmm... I don't find records of a Ranma Saotome in any of the old personnel and passenger logs of all the Colony ships." Parfet stated as she poured over the ancient files. The Nirvana still possessed all the data from its previous incarnations as a Colony vessel and the Ikazuchi.

Magno nodded as she stood behind her at the console in the Engineering Section. "Hmmm. I expected as much. Looks like Duero's theory was right. Slade... I mean... Ranma, existed before the time of the Great Migration a hundred years ago."

"Huh? But the doctor estimated him to have been born in the late 20th century of old Earth! Are you saying that he's _REALLY_ over five hundred and fifty-years old!"

The old woman gave the brown-haired girl a bit of a whimsical smile, then took on an introspective expression. "Hmmm... actually, I would say he'd be about... five hundred and sixty-six... maybe sixty-seven years old... yes, that sounds about right. Ah, and his birthday is next month. I must remember to throw a party for him. I certainly hope Barnette can cook a cake big enough for five hundred and sixty-eight candles."

This caught Parfet by complete surprise. "What? How would you know about that, Captain?"

The pirate captain did not answer her question as she turned around and headed toward the door. She stopped at the opening and addressed Parfet without turning around.

"I believe that if you look up the file name Genesis R-44, you should be able to find his name and birth records. That data is encrypted and will take some time to retrieve. Once you have the data, report to the Conference Room immediately."

She then left the bewildered engineer in the Sick Bay as she headed down the hallway.

* * *

On the Observation Deck above the Bio-Park, Slade looked out at the star-studded void in deep thought.

_I'm... Ranma Saotome. It's been so long. I've waited so long to finally remember who I was. But now, the question is... what do I do from here on?_>

"Mr. Alien?"

Slade sighed as he turned to face Dita and saw that Jura and Meia were with her as well. Nothing was said for a long time and the three girls became nervous at the prolonged silence. Finally, he spoke.

"It's Ranma."

"Huh?"

"My name is Ranma Saotome. If you can't call me Slade, then call me Ranma. This Mr. Alien stuff had gotten _REALLY_ old."

Meia nodded as she agreed. "He's right, Dita. Slade... I mean, Ranma is his real name after all." She then addressed him. "So... you remember everything now? Where you came from and who you are?"

"Who I was." Slade corrected. "I haven't gone by the name of Ranma for a really long time. Not since I became a Tekkaman."

"So how does it feel?" Jura asked. "Are you happy now that you remember who you were?"

Slade paused, then shook his head. "Actually, I think I was better off not knowing my past. All of those memories... they were all painful, and I realized why I shut them out."

"What do you mean?" Dita asked.

"Do you remember that little boy you saw in my mind? That was me. All those wounds he... I had, especially that scar, was because my father threw me into a pit of starving cats when I was six."

"What!" Jura exclaimed in disbelief. Meia and Dita were also in a state of shock. They had learned from Slade that the term 'father' was the male version of the ohma, when men and women once lived together. They couldn't believe that a parent would so willingly do that to a child.

Slade sighed again as he explained. "It all began a long, long time ago... when my idiot father decided to take me on a training trip..."

* * *

The Engineering Section...

"Ah, here it is!" Parfet said as she finally discovered the file named Genesis R-44. Standing next to her was Duero.

The doctor nodded as he looked over the data. "It appears to be a lineage record. This must list the family histories and relations for all of the original passengers and crews of the Colony ships. See if you can find the family name of Saotome."

"Okay." The bespectacled girl started to scan through the files, until a few minutes later, she came across a certain record. Her eyes widened as she read the date. "No way! It can't be!"

Duero nodded in agreement, though his reaction was far less expressive. "Fascinating. That does explain certain things, though it still leaves many questions unanswered. I believe that we should see the Captain now."

* * *

The Observation Deck...

"... and the last thing I remember was falling into that pool and the Tekkapod engulfing me." Slade said after giving the three girls a summary of his past life as Ranma Saotome. "Then, I woke up in this time period, went out into space and eventually made my way to Tarak. I snuck aboard the Ikazuchi and... well, you know the rest."

"Yes." Meia nodded. "That was when we all met in the Paksis Core."

"Wow!" Dita exclaimed. "Mr. Alien is _REALLY_ old!"

"Dita, stop calling him that!" Jura scolded. "His name is Ranma, so use it!" She then addressed him. "Still, what you've told us sounds so... unbelievable! Your ohma didn't even bother to read through an entire manual that was only three pages long?"

Slade shrugged. "Hey, I didn't say that my father was the sharpest tool in the shed."

"And strapping you down with lead weights, then pushing you off a cliff!"

The White Tekkaman sighed. "It was his idea of endurance training."

"And tying a steak on your back and letting wolves chase you!"

"Speed and stamina training."

"Forcing you to eat nothing but rice?"

"Discipline... and because he hogged all the good stuff. He always had that fat belly."

"Breaking into other people's homes and stealing things?"

"He called it stealth training, but I think it was because he was too cheap to rent a hotel room and he never got a job."

"Making you swim to China?"

"Once again, too cheap to buy plane tickets."

"And he didn't even know a single word of Chinese?"

"What can I say? He gave idiots a bad name. Now do you understand why I would rather forget those kind of memories? Just about everything in my childhood was both painful and embarrassing, and I did things that I'm not too proud of. Of course I was only a kid at the time and I didn't know any better. After that Cat Fist training, I had lost a lot of respect for him. I was planning to leave him after the journey, but that became a moot point after Jusenkyo."

All three females nodded, then Meia decided to pose a question. "By the way... Ranma, what about your fahma? What was she like?"

"My fahma?" Slade was briefly confused, then realized whom she was referring to. "Oh, you mean my mother. Well, I can't remember much. The last time I saw her was when I was five years old. Maybe it's better off that I don't remember her. I mean, she never even tried to contact me for over ten years. I never knew her and she'd be nothing but a stranger to me if I ever met her. Heck all I really remember was her name."

"What was it?" Dita asked.

"Her name was... Nodoka Saotome."

* * *

The Conference Room...

"Here it is, Captain." Duero said as he read the file that he and Parfet had found. "Ranma Saotome, born June 16, 1978... hmm, it looks like my estimates were a bit off. His father Genma Saotome... and mother... Nodoka Saotome..." He looked back at the aged woman sitting before him. "So now we know where he got the name for Ezra's baby. However, you've still haven't explained to us why you would know so much about Slade's history and where to find this particular file."

"I would think that the answer would be obvious, Doctor." The aged woman said with a tired sigh. "I would know these things, because..."

* * *

"_RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE, YOU BASTARD!_"

Jura, Meia and Dita were taken by total surprise when Ukyo the Seventeenth appeared on the scene with Battle Spatula in hand and wearing an expression of utter rage.

"Ukyo? What are you doing?" Meia asked.

The okonomiyaki girl said nothing as she glared at Slade with murder in her eyes. After she had heard about the truth of his past, she had gone into a fit of anger and vengeance that knew no bounds. To think that she had actually developed some feelings for this... this _JACKASS_! This was the one who had disgraced her family! He was the one that she had been conditioned to despise since the time she was born. And now, at last, the Kuonji clan would finally have its due! The source of her family's dishonor will finally answer for his crime!

For Ranma, it felt as if a ghost from his past had come back to haunt him. In this girl, he could see another Ucchan, who was then a rough-and-tumble playmate from his childhood. The way she held her weapon and the stance she took, reminded him of someone from his younger days. Then he realized just why she reminded him of his childhood friend. Who else could she be descended from, other than his old buddy...

"Ucchan?"

"Don't call me that!" Ukyo snarled. "You have no right to use that name! Not after what you did to my family!"

Meia, Jura and Dita looked at Slade with confusion. Normally, he and Ukyo got on amicably. What would have caused such a reversal?

Slade was also a bit puzzled as his childhood memories were of a young boy that had given him free okonomiyaki every day during his childhood. Those were the few happy times of his newly-remembered past.

"I don't understand. Why are you mad at me?"

"Don't give me that!" Ukyo shouted. "It was because of you, that my family's honor suffered for centuries! Now it's time to make you pay!"

"Look, I really don't know what you're talking about." Slade responded earnestly. "All I remember was my old buddy Ucchan back when I was six..." He paused as he thought back. "... so why are you upset about something that happened over five hundred fifty years ago? C'mon, you're not even the same Ucchan. He was a boy."

That last statement caused Ukyo XVII to stop in her rage in confusion. She gave her family's hated enemy a puzzled look, then said. "Wh-wha? What are you talking about! Don't try to confuse me! My ancestor was the original Ukyo that you abandoned! You stole her dowry and left her in dishonor!"

"Huh? Dowry? I don't remember anything like that. All I remember was Pops taking your family's cart as a gift and..." His voice trailed off when Ukyo's last statement registered in his mind. _Wait a second! Did she just say **HER**!_>

"Hold on! What did you just say? You're saying Ucchan was really a girl?"

"Of course she was!" Ukyo snarled. "I'm her direct descendant and the seventeenth girl to be named Ukyo! From that day, we had declared a blood feud against the Saotomes for dishonoring us! She was to be your wife and the cart you took from my family was part of the deal! Your father promised! But you and that worthless father of yours stole it and left her on the side of the road! For centuries, the Kuonji Clan has hated the Saotomes and now you will pay!"

This information completely knocked Slade and the others for a loop. Of course, Dita, Jura and Meia were not familiar with the term wife, but the Tekkaman and former heir to the Anything Goes was rendered speechless.

_Ukyo... a girl? I was supposed to marry her? My father arranged for all this!_>

Before the situation could escalate any further, a vid-screen appeared between the two of them, displaying the image of Vivian Magno.

"Slade, would please report to the Conference Room? I have something very important to discuss with you."

"Uh... Captain? This... isn't the best time."

"Now Slade... I mean, Ranma." Magno said with an insistent tone. "This cannot wait."

When the vid-screen vanished, Ukyo and Slade looked at one another. The okonomiyaki chef glared at him and wondered how she could have ever fallen for him. Her hands clenched her battle spatula so hard, that the metal threatened to cut into her skin. Her mouth became a firm straight line, then in a barely controlled tone, she said to him, "This is _NOT_ over! I swear by my ancestors that I will make you pay for what you did to my family!"

With those words, she turned around and departed.

Slade shook his head sadly and gazed at Jura, Meia and Dita. Letting off a tired sigh, he remarked in a sad voice. "Now you can see why I was better off _NOT_ knowing my past." He turned about and started toward the nearest exit. Just as he neared the doorway, he muttered out loud to no one in particular. "Damn you Pops. Five hundred and fifty years later and I'm _STILL_ paying for your crimes."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the all-male planet of Tarak...

Within the Grand Citadel of the capital city, Grand Pa contemplated in his private chambers. Months ago, he had received the message pod from the Nirvana, warning him and the leader of Mejele of the impending arrival of the Harvesters. However, he had dismissed the message as nothing more than a Mejele trick. You couldn't trust women. They were monsters after all, and they would suck the innards of men if given the chance.

In any case, there hadn't been any sign of the so-called enemy since the message pods had been received. Besides, even if the Harvesters did exist, (which ironically they didn't any more), they would have never gotten past the Outer Space Perimeter Defense Grid, which was littered with space mines and automated cannons. Any ship that got too close without the correct codes would be obliterated. That was the main reason why the females were not able to invade Tarak. Incidentally, the only person who ever got through unharmed was Slade, since the grid's sensors were set to detect spacecraft, and would not react to any human-sized intruders.

The leader of the all-male world decided that there was nothing to worry about.

It was then that an aide suddenly burst into the room, clutching a report in his hands.

"Grand Pa! Grand Pa!"

"What is the meaning of this? How dare you disturb me without first announcing yourself!" The old man roared. Though he was well over one hundred years old, his voice still carried the force and strength of his younger days.

The aide stopped before his ruler and gave him a bow. "Please forgive me, your Excellency! I have urgent news to report! Tarak space has been invaded!"

"What! Invaded! Impossible! Who dares to cross our borders! Is it the women of Mejele?"

"No sir! It is neither the monsters from Mejele or the pirates that have been raiding our supply ships. As far as our long-range scanners and scouting forces can tell us, this is some unknown alien fleet!"

"What about the Defense Grid? Didn't it stop them!"

"We received reports that the Defense Grid systems did activate when the invaders encountered it, but according to the latest readouts, the entire network of mines and auto-guns were obliterated in a matter of minutes."

"Obliterated!"

"Yes sir. Furthermore, our advance scouts and patrol fleets have begun engaging the enemy and are reporting heavy casualties. They cannot hold out for very long and are requesting for reinforcements from the main fleet!"

"Ridiculous! We are the proud men of Tarak! Our manliness cannot be defeated so easily! This must be a trick by the women!"

"I'm afraid that I must disagree with you, my Lord." The aide said in a trembling tone. Disagreeing with Grand Pa was akin to treason and the penalty was the firing squad.

"What do you mean! This _HAS_ to be the work of the women! Who else could it be!"

The aide gulped and took a deep breath. "My Lord Grand Pa. According to the evidence being sent back to us by our spies on Mejele, the women are being attacked by the same enemy!"

* * *

On Mejele...

"I'm sorry to say Grand Ma, but the fourth, sixth and eighth divisions of the Primary Patrol Fleet has been wiped out and the remaining ships are reporting heavy losses." The aide said as she went on with her report to the supreme leader of the female world.

"This cannot be." The old ruler said in disbelief. "How could the men have gained superiority over our forces?"

The younger women cleared her voice and said, "Begging your pardon Lady Grand Ma, but our sources do not believe that this is the work of the men."

"And why is that?" Grand Ma demanded. Like her male counterpart, she had dismissed the message from the Nirvana as pure fantasy, and was blaming the opposite gender. "Who could it be, but the males?"

"My Lady Grand Ma, our long-range sensors indicate that their Defense Grid has completely collapsed and their own forces are engaging the same alien fleet as we are. Furthermore, the enemy seems to possess a kind of bio-technology that is far beyond the science of Tarak and our own planet of Mejele."

Grand Ma's blood began to run cold as she recalled message that the Nirvana had sent, warning her that the enemy would attack not only the women, but the men as well. She felt a chill go down her spine and began to wonder if these were the Harvesters that the pirates had tried to alert them to.

* * *

Little did Grand Pa and Grand Ma know, that the Harvesters were no longer a danger to them. However, their replacements the Radam, would prove to be far worse.

Aboard his flagship, which was five times larger than a Harvester mothership, Darkon nodded as he summoned for his newest subordinate.

"Report Dagger! How goes the invasion of Mejele and Tarak?"

A figure in green-hued armor appeared kneeling before his master. He was the latest of Darkon's lieutenants, and had been created to replace Lance. Unlike his predecessor, Dagger was larger and more robust.

"All is going according to plan, Lord Darkon." Dagger replied as he bowed his head. "As we expected, their puny armies are no match for our Spider-Crabs. Their feeble weapons possess little firepower and their so-called planetary defense forces are nearly helpless. Their troops are being defeated in space and within a matter of weeks, all resistance will be crushed and both planets will be completely under our control."

"Excellent Dagger!" The Radam Warlord said. He was immensely pleased after suffering countless defeats against Slade and the Nirvana. Since attacking them directly had proven futile, he had decided to attack their final destination and wait for them to come to him. With the added resources of both worlds, his greatest opposition to galactic conquest would finally be eliminated.

"Yes, my Lord Darkon." Dagger said. "However, may I also add that we are encountering some considerable resistance from the Tarak forces? Though I have no doubt that our side will eventually triumph, their mecha weapons the Vanguards are proving to be an annoyance."

Darkon chuckled as he responded. "A minor delay of the inevitable. It makes things more interesting when your opponent _TRIES_ to put up a fight. Though the men of Tarak will make excellent slaves and their industrial resources will be needed, it is the world of Mejele that I am interested in conquering first."

"Mejele?"

"Yes Dagger. Mejele is quite a fertile world and will make the perfect breeding ground for our Tekkapods. Tarak is barren and it would take far more time for our plants to thrive. Therefore, I intend to turn Mejele into my own greenhouse. Once the pods have spawned and turned the inhabitants into our servants, we shall then conquer Tarak. For now, I intend to reduce the defenses of both planets so that when I arrive, there will be none that can stop me!"

"Brilliant plan, my Lord!"

"Yes. Mejele is an all-female world, and as the old Earth expression says... ladies first!"

Darkon let off a series of maniacal laughter, which echoed throughout the hallways of his flagship.

* * *

Deep within the flagship, a lone figure floated within a Tekkapod. He had been inside for some time and was undergoing a process which would give him the power to defeat his greatest foe.

_Soon, very soon, I shall emerge as the penultimate Tekkaman!_> Thought Saber as his body was being pushed toward its limits and beyond. He feeling excruciating pain, but he paid it no mind. He was well aware that the process would eventually kill him. However, it didn't matter. Time after time, Slade had defeated and humiliated him. All he was concerned about was to destroy his opponent once and for all. Afterwards, the entire universe could collapse in on itself for all he cared.

_We shall finally see which of us is better! In a way, it's amusing how the twists of fate has brought us together to this point in time, isn't it Slade? Or should I say... Ranma? Oh yes, I understand now just what it is that keeps drawing us together. No matter how much we try, we can't stop our contest until there is a victor. We're two of a kind, you and I. However, the universe does not require the two of us and I will make certain that there will be only one!_>

The Tekkapod he was in began to bubble and increase in its glow. Saber was nearing his goal and woe to any who stood in his way.

* * *

The Nirvana's Conference Room...

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Ranma asked as he walked into the room.

Magno nodded as she motioned for Parfet and Duero to leave the area. The doctor and the engineer gave her worried expressions, but obeyed her silent command and departed. When the door slid shut, the leader of the pirates and the Tekkaman faced each other.

"Sit down Ranma." Magno said as she gestured to a nearby chair.

"I'll stand, if you don't mind." Slade said simply. He was still feeling some frustration over what had happened with Ukyo. It was bad enough that he remembered the misery and hardship he had endured during his first life, but having one of his friends turn on him so suddenly had been unexpected and unpleasant. "And the name's Slade. I really don't care for the name Ranma. Besides, I haven't gone by that name in a long time."

"But it is your true name Ranma." Magno insisted. "It means Wild Horse, doesn't it? That was the name your father gave to you."

Slade's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How would you know what my name means and that my father gave it to me?"

Magno sat in silence as she looked over his features, and nodded as she gazed into his gray-blue eyes. "Yes. I always thought that you had the same eyes. It's been so long, but I still remember that shade of blue. And as I look at you now, I can see the resemblance."

"What are you talking about?" Slade started to become uneasy. Magno seemed to know more about him than he did and that was making him nervous. Could she be telepathic?

The aged pirate captain pressed a button on her console and a small panel opened up on the center of the Conference Table. Suspended in an anti-gravity field, a clear cylinder floated up and hovered two feet above the surface of the table. Within the tube was a rolled up sheet of parchment, contained inside a nitrogen environment, to prevent any further degradation. Slade noted that the edges were yellowed and cracked, indicating that the parchment was extremely aged. It would have crumbled away centuries ago if it wasn't meticulously preserved. He also noted that there was a darkened area near the bottom half of the rolled sheet, that looked to be an ink stain.

"Do you recognize this?" Magno asked.

Slade shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "It's just an old piece of paper. What's that got to do with me?"

She nodded in thought. "Yes, I suppose you wouldn't remember. You were only five at the time."

"Huh?"

She pressed another button, causing another panel on the table to open in front of Slade. A sensor pad appeared.

"Place your hand on the sensor." She instructed.

"What?"

"Place your hand on the sensor." She repeated.

By this time, Slade was getting irritated. "Look, I don't have time for any games! You said that you wanted to talk to me about something important! Now either you tell me what it is, or I'm leaving!"

"Slade..." The old woman said in a more forceful tone. "Put your hand on the sensor... now!"

The young man let off a snort of disgust before placing his right hand on the pad. Immediately, the sensor glowed as the computer began scanning. At the same time, a holographic projection appeared next to the parchment, indicating that it was also being scanned. In a minute, the analysis was complete and the results were displayed. On the right side of the image was Slade's base DNA sequence. On the left side was the DNA sequence of the skin cells that were discovered preserved within the ink stains. Slade's eyes widened as he read the final results.

**DNA MATCH... ID CONFIRMED AS RANMA SAOTOME...**

Magno trembled as she asked the computer, "Is there any probability of error?"

The computer replied.

**ERROR PROBABILITY LESS THAN NEGLIGIBLE.**

At that moment, the captain of the Nirvana stood up with a tender expression on her face. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she approached the still shocked Tekkaman. Her body trembled with excitement as she immediately embraced him and began sobbing into his chest.

"My boy! (sob) My boy has finally come back to me! (sob) After all this time! (sob) I thought I had lost you! Ranma! Ranma! (sob) I'm so happy! (sob) I'm so very happy!"

Slade was at a total loss of what to do, and of course he panicked. He gently but firmly pushed away the weeping woman and held her by the shoulders. His expression was of absolute confusion as he addressed her in an edgy tone. "Whoa! Hold on! What are you talking about! What do you mean I'm your boy! Just who the _HELL_ do you think you are!"

Vivian Magno's eyes furrowed a bit, though she gave him a bit of a smile when she replied, "Ranma... I know it's been five hundred and sixty-three years, but that is still no excuse to talk back to _YOUR MOTHER!_"

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, that takes care of this part and I know I'm a stinker for leaving you hanging like this. So did I fool anyone here? How many of you thought that Magno was a descendant of Nodoka instead of the original? How did Nodoka survive this long? What's her story and what is going to happen once the Nirvana reaches their ultimate destination and the final showdown with the Radam? Well, all I can say is watch for the next episode.


	24. Chapter 10, Part 3: A Mother’s Tale

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Tekkaman Blade, Ranma ½ and Vandread all belong to someone else, so I can't take credit for them.

: Thoughts

**Chapter 10**

**Part 3**

**A Mother's Tale**

On Mejele...

"What are the latest reports?" Grand Ma asked as one of her subordinates stood before her in the Main Conference Hall in the Planetary Capital.

The young woman took a deep breath as she read the report. "The entire Outer Patrol Fleet has been totally wiped out. The Inner Fleet and the Orbital Observation Stations are currently engaged with the enemy and are reporting heavy losses. Our strongest weapons and most powerful ships are almost useless against these monsters. They say that they won't be able to hold out much longer and that it will only be a matter of days before they are overrun. Several hundred thousand of these aliens have already begun landing on the planet's surface, attacking the smaller cities and destroying the major military installations. Also, there are reports that the enemy are planting some kind of vegetation that are draining the planet's natural resources. There is widespread panic among the general populace and there has been countless incidences of rioting and looting." She shook her head sadly and gazed upon the Supreme Leader of the all-female world. "What are we going to do, Lady Grand Ma?"

The aged woman considered all possible options. If what her subordinate had said was true, then further resistance against these invaders would be pointless. There had already been too much loss of life, and she had to consider the future of her people and those who had not yet begun to live. Deep within the surface of the planet, hundreds of thousands of individuals still slumbered within cryogenic suspension capsules. They had been part of the original crews of the Great Migration and had been in suspended animation for well over a century. It was her duty and Grand Pa's, to safeguard the future of the human race. And as such, she had to consider their lives, along with the second and third generation of Mejele.

Though she hated to admit it, the women needed help... from the men. Since she had been hearing reports that the men of Tarak were actually putting up better resistance against the same aliens, it would make sense to try and enlist their aid. She then made the decision to open up the ancient line that gave her a direct link to her husband... Grand Pa.

----------

Meanwhile, aboard the Nirvana...

"I know this sounds impossible, Ranma, but I am Nodoka... your mother." Magno said as she sat opposite to Slade at the Conference Table.

Naturally of course, Slade was more than a bit skeptical at this old woman who claimed to be his natural mother. For one thing, she didn't look a thing like the woman he remembered from his former life as Ranma Saotome. His memories of his youth were sketchy, but Magno Vivian bore no resemblance to that image of his mother whatsoever. For one thing, Nodoka did not have blond hair. He had seen a strand of her hair hanging out from beneath her hood.

"I thought I told you, never to call me Ranma." The Tekkaman growled. "And I'm not at all buying this story about you being my mother. It's been over five hundred and fifty years. You're old, but you're not THAT old."

Magno chuckled a bit then said, "You're right. I'm NOT that old. I'm only one hundred and three."

"There, so..."

"However, I am your mother." Magno cut him off. "It was a very long time ago, in another lifetime, when I went by the name of Nodoka Saotome..."

---------

Flashback, October 1994...

Nodoka Saotome bowed her head as the funeral services concluded. Since there were no bodies to bury or cremate, the ceremony had been entirely symbolic to honor the passing of her son and husband. It had been two months since she had been informed that her family had perished at a strange place called Jusenkyo.

Though Genma's wife was harboring a hidden anger over the foolishness of her late spouse, and her own for letting him take her only child away, she kept such thoughts to herself. It did not matter anyway with her family gone forever. It was time to move on.

----------

End of flashback...

"I mourned your death for a very long time Ranma... I mean, Slade. I was so distraught over losing you, that I considered ending my own life." The pirate captain said.

"Well I guess it's obvious that you didn't." Slade remarked with a sarcastic tone. "Not that I believe that you're really my mother."

Magno's expression hardened at Slade's lack of respect toward her, then it softened as she realized that he had every right to be bitter. She continued with her story. "Three years after the funeral, I remarried and took on the different family name of Tensuke. My second husband, your stepfather, was a much kinder and understanding person, unlike that fool Genma. I was happy... for a time. Then, fifteen years later..."

----------

Flashback, June 2012...

"I'm sorry Nodoka, but the tests were positive." Her friend Dr. Sasaki stated as she read the results. "The terrorist bombing that killed your husband has also caused you and your son to be infected with the virus. You and Kenji are in the final stages of the disease. You have less than six months to live."

The twice-widow lowered her head in sadness. It had been eighteen years since she had lost her first family. Now fate was about to take her second family. It had been her misfortune that she, her husband and her second son had been in the airport when terrorists had released a viral agent with the use of an exploding device. The explosion killed dozens of people, including her second husband. The disease spread through the surrounding areas and hundreds more were doomed to a slow and agonizing death. Some lingered on for months before succumbing. Unfortunately, both Nodoka and her son would be among them.

----------

End of flashback...

"Hold on!" Slade interrupted. "Kenji? As in... your _SON_ Kenji?"

The woman who was once Nodoka took a deep breath, then sighed while nodding. "Yes. Kenji was the child that I had with your stepfather. He was... your half-brother."

"Half-brother! So not only are you saying that you're my real mother, but that I also had a half-brother!"

"I don't expect you to believe it right away, but it is... was true. However, the disease that Kenji and I had contracted would have killed us within a half-year."

Slade snorted in disdain. "Well it looks like it didn't."

Magno sighed again. "No, it did not. However, I sometimes wished it did. I wouldn't have had to suffer through centuries of despair and loneliness. There was a way to save me and Kenji. However, it meant that I would have to give up my home, my friends, and ultimately my very identity..."

----------

Flashback November 2012...

"Are you sure about this?" Nodoka asked as she was being prepared to undergo the experimental cryostasis procedure. She had been given an injection which would freeze her body's vital functions and prevent cellular crystallization and degradation, once the freezing process had begun.

Dr. Sasaki nodded as she gave her friend a reassuring smile. "This is the only option we have. Our scientists are close to finding a cure for the disease, but they're still several months away. You and all the other victims do not have the time. You're lucky that the government is paying for this cryogenics process. I know that they're saying that they only want to help the victims, but everyone knows that they just want to cover themselves up for their part in the terrorist attack. In any case, once the cure has been found, you and your son will be revived and cured. Your son is already in stasis and he's doing fine. And so are the other patients. You are the last one. We have to freeze you now, before the disease reaches its critical phase."

"So, I guess I'll see you in a few months then."

"Don't worry Nodoka. You won't even know that you were frozen when you wake up. It'll be like waking up from a short nap."

"And my personal effects?"

"They'll be stored in a separate facility."

"And the scroll?"

"As you had instructed, it was put into a nitrogen-filled capsule to keep it from degrading any further. Though I can't understand why you still hold onto that damned agreement. Why anyone would want to have a reminder of that idiot Genma is beyond me."

"I keep it not to remind me of Genma. I keep it to remind me of what I've lost. And because it's all I have left of Ranma..."

----------

Later...

Nodoka felt a numbing cold as she was sealed within the cryo-pod. Already she could feel her body stiffen as she began to lose consciousness. This was not the sensation that one felt when one was dying, but rather what one felt when one was falling asleep. As her thoughts became stilled and her body froze, one last image flashed before her eyes. It was an image of her sons... fifteen-year-old Kenji... and five-year-old Ranma.

----------

End of flashback...

"My nap was only supposed to last a few months; a year at most." Vivian said with a tired tone. "I never imagined that it would last for centuries." She let off a rueful chuckle. "You weren't the only one who went to sleep for a long time."

Slade scowled at the comment. "I didn't ask for that Tekkapod to swallow me up and turn me into a Tekkaman."

The aged woman shrugged. "And I never asked to be infected and be forced to be frozen until a cure could be found. However, we can't change what has happened. Once we went to sleep, the world forgot about us... at least for me, until a hundred years ago..."

----------

Flashback, January 2447...

Nodoka squinted as a bright light nearly blinded her. Her body felt stiff and sore from being dormant for so long, but she slowly managed to rise to a sitting position. She looked about and saw that she was in a medical bed in some lab. She was dressed in a kind of hospital wrap. A lingering chill still caused her to shiver, due to the after-effects of the cryostasis. She hugged herself and rubbed with her hands to get circulation going and to warm up. Then a blanket was draped over her shoulders as a young man in a medical lab coat addressed her.

"Easy now. You're just getting over the cryostasis process. Give your body time to adjust and you'll be fine."

"T-Thank you." Nodoka said in a coarse, scratchy tone. Her vocal cords had been inactive for a long time and her throat was somewhat sore. She then gazed upon the man, who looked to be about in his early twenties. She then noted that the lab she was in had technology that was far more advanced then any she had seen before she had been frozen. She started to wonder just how long she had been gone. It was obvious that it had been more than a few months. Then she saw the readout on one of the computer screens. Her eyes widened as she saw the date... January 28, 2447.

The medic nodded as he noted her expression. Her shock was understandable as he began to explain. "Ms. Nodoka Tensuke?"

She looked back at the man, momentarily forgetting what she had just seen. "H-How did you know who I am?"

He held up what looked like a clipboard, but instead of sheets of paper, the face had a holographic screen. He started to read the data. "According to the file that was in the cryo-pod's database, you are Nodoka Tensuke. You were fifty-six years old when you were put into stasis, due to being infected with a disease from an archaic biological weapon. You were only supposed to be in stasis for a few months until a cure could be found. However, due to the Great Tsunami of 2013, you never received your cure."

"W-What?"

The medic took a deep breath and continued. "On January fourteenth, twenty thirteen, there was a massive undersea quake in the Pacific Ocean, which caused a huge tsunami to hit Japan. Nearly all of the smaller islands and much of the main island of Honshu was flooded. The facility where your cryo-pod was, had gotten caught in that huge tidal wave and was swept into the ocean, along with all the others who had been in stasis. You and everyone else in that facility had to be considered as lost."

"B-But... I don't understand. How am I alive now?" She pointed to the computer console. "Is... it really...?"

The man nodded again. "Yes. It is now the year twenty-four forty seven, or the mid-25th Century. I have to admit, they really knew how to build things back in the 21st Century. Your cryo-pod was still operational and almost entirely intact when an underwater research team came across the ruins of the facility. That pod had kept you alive for more than four centuries! That's got to be a record!"

Nodoka reached out weakly toward him and asked, "My son! My son Kenji was in one of those pods! Please! Tell me that you found him! Is he alive?"

The man in the lab coat bowed his head sadly and shook it. "I'm sorry Ms. Tensuke. Your pod was the only intact one that we found. We also came across a storage room where your personal effects were still preserved. Every other pod we came across had long since failed and the people within them had died centuries ago. We did not find all the pods that were listed in the facility's registry, but there was no sign of the one which contained Kenji Tensuke's body. Most likely, it was destroyed during the disaster of 2013."

Nodoka felt the color drain out of her face as she just realized that she had just lost her second child. It was then that she began to weep uncontrollably and cursed Fate that she had outlived not one but two sons.

----------

Later on...

After drying her tears and finally accepting that her second son was lost to her, Nodoka continued to ask the medic about her situation. "But I still don't understand how I could be alive now. You said that I never received the cure."

"That's right. You didn't receive the cure that had been developed by the Japanese Government at the time. However, as of now, you don't need it."

"What?"

The medic gave her a slight, whimsical expression as he explained. "Remember, you're in the Twenty-Fifth Century now. Medical science has come a long way since then. The disease that had you to be frozen was easily cured when we thawed you out. Our medical facilities here at the Orbital Space Ring are top notch."

That statement caught the still-recovering woman off guard. "Excuse me? Did you say... Orbital Space Ring? We're in space!"

"That's right. The zero gravity and vacuum of space does provide us with a very good environment for experiments and research. When your cryo-pod was discovered, it was transported here so that you could be revived and cured."

"So why aren't I floating or something?"

"Oh, the artificial gravity fields are what keeps you on the floor, but that's not important. What is important is what are you going to do now, Ms. Tensuke. Though it wasn't something that you wanted, you've been given a chance to start a new life."

----------

End of Flashback...

"So I decided to take my new chance to start over, and I did so... literally remaking myself." Magno said as she finished with her story. "From that moment, Nodoka was dead and Vivian Magno was born. I did not want any more reminders of my past life, save for this and a few other items." She gestured to the parchment that was still floating in its nitrogen-filled capsule and suspended by the anti-gravity field projector.

By this time, Slade was looking at her with less of a sarcastic expression, but he was still unconvinced. "That still doesn't explain why you don't look a thing like the mother I remember. I may have only been five years old, but I still..."

"See her as a kind woman with brown hair, sky blue eyes and holding a giggling, younger you in her arms and posing for a picture?" Magno inquired.

This statement took Slade by surprise. "H-How did you know about that?"

The pirate captain nodded as she produced another object. It was an aged photo inside a plastic frame, permanently vacuum-sealed to keep it from degrading. She placed the frame on the table and pushed it toward Slade. When it slid to a stop in front of him, he picked it up and gazed upon the ancient image. His hand shook as he recognized the scene from his newly-discovered memories. He made several double-takes as he looked back and forth at the captain and the photo.

"Look familiar?" Vivian asked.

Slade shook his head in total denial. "No... it can't be! It can't be!"

The leader of the Mejele Pirates nodded as she explained. "Quite a difference isn't it? When I said I remade myself, I meant it. I underwent some genetic restructuring and used some rejuvenation methods to keep me from aging somewhat. That's why I only look to be just over one hundred. When I said I was only one hundred and three, I meant that was how old I am as Vivian Magno, not Nodoka Tensuke or Saotome. Then came the time of the Great Migration and... well, I'm certain that you can figure out the rest."

She then got up and walked over to where her son was sitting. She gazed upon her first-born for a long while and neither one said a word. Finally, she broke the silence as she placed a hand on his right shoulder. "My son, I had never thought I would ever see you again. It's as if the powers that be finally decided to reunite us, after all these centuries. I know that it is a lot to take in and I am willing to give you some time to think things over. Perhaps we can...?"

At that moment, Slade snarled at her and slapped her hand off his shoulder. He got up and glared at the ancient woman. "_DON'T... EVER... TOUCH... ME!_" His tone was dripping with scorn and rage. He threw down the picture with such force, that the protective case broke open, exposing the old photo to the open air. It took all of his self-control to not lash out at the old pirate captain.

"Ranma?" Magno was taken by surprise by this sudden burst of anger, though she should have expected something like this might happen.

"I told you... don't call me Ranma!" Slade growled. "And most of all, don't call me your _ SON!_"

"But..."

"What? You were expecting me to say all is forgiven and accept this! I haven't had a mother since I was five! I had no one but Pops to take care of me! And after enduring everything that he did to me, I had long decided that I had no mother to begin with! After all, you were never there when I needed you! Where were you for _TEN_ years! Why did you let Pops take me away!"

"Ran... Slade, you're not being fair!" Magno shot back as she felt her own anger rising. "I had no way of knowing what your father was doing to you during that training trip!" She had been informed of Genma's many crimes when she had been informed of his death and Ranma's. "He always kept on moving and the only contact I had was the occasional letter..."

"And not once did you ever try to find us!" Slade snarled. "And just _ NOW_ you want to be my mother!"

"I was told that you were dead!"

"Then maybe it's better off that I remain _DEAD_ to you!"

"What?"

Slade bowed his head as he trembled with barely-contained rage. He then spoke with an emotionless tone. "I don't care about the last five hundred fifty years, since we didn't have a choice during that time. But I can't forget those first ten years, when you abandoned me to Pops! I was all alone, and having Pops around all the time wasn't any better, especially with the all the Hell he put me through. You're not my mother. You are a stranger to me and with all the time that's passed between us, I don't think there's anything left to try and save." He raised his head and glared at her. "When this business with the Radam is over, I'm leaving this ship... and you... I'm _NEVER_ coming back! And I warn you... if you tell anyone, and I mean _ ANYONE_ about what you told me today, then I will _ABANDON_ this ship, just like you abandoned me all those years ago! Do you understand?"

Magno gazed for a long time, then bowed her head in resignation. "So be it. I will not tell anyone that you were once Ranma Saotome... my son."

Slade then turned about and left without another word.

After he departed and the door to the Conference Room, Magno slumped down into a chair and bowed her head in her hands. She then started to weep as she had just lost her first son... for the second time.

----------

Slade continued to brood as he walked down the hallway. He started to think about the half-brother that he had never met and wondered what had become of him. He then shrugged and decided that it was better off that he had perished. At least he would never know of the anguish and frustration of having to meet up with the mother that had thrown away her only child to a fool like Genma. He was probably the lucky one.

----------

The Radam Fleet...

As Darkon's forces continued to press their unyielding attacks against the citizens of Mejele, a lone Tekkaman continued to slumber within the confines of the Tekkapod. As his body was being evolved toward the penultimate form of the Tekkaman process, his thoughts focused on one goal... defeat his rival and prove to all that he was the stronger of the two.

Saber had always considered Slade and he were two of a kind. And why not? They both had much in common, and first and foremost was their mutual past with a certain individual... Nodoka Saotome.

Before being transformed into a Tekkaman by the Harvesters, Saber had been one of the many wretches that had been surviving by stealing the organs of others. His was a very special case, due to having advanced cellular degeneration... from extended cryogenic suspension. He had been found in a malfunctioning cryo-pod during the time of the Great Migration and had been deemed too fragile to survive the rigors of space travel. He could not be put into suspension again and had to spend his existence being tied to a life-support machine.

When Radam presence in the Earth's Paksis offered to turn him into a cosmic warrior, he had readily accepted the offer. He had grown quite bitter due to the Harvester's treatment of him, but the core of his resentment stemmed from his previous life. His mother had doted on him, but was always referring back to her long-lost first born. In his eyes, Saber had been merely the substitute and had felt nothing but bitterness against his long-dead half-brother. Often, she would mistakenly call him by his half-brother's name, rather than his own. And ultimately, she had abandoned him to a frozen grave, just as she had abandoned her first child.

Then he learned that his mother and half-brother were still alive.

They were the reason why Lord Darkon treated him so shabbily. They had always thwarted his plans and made him look like a fool in the eyes of the Radam Warlord. Until he had destroyed the source of his constant failures and proven to all that he was someone to be reckoned with, he would never stop. Magno and her pirates will be destroyed and Slade will finally be defeated.

Tekkaman Saber... formally Kenji Tensuke swore it.

_We're two of a kind, my dear brother Ranma, but the universe does not need the two of us. I shall make certain of it!_

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, that takes care of chapter 10 as new secrets are revealed. There's only three more chapters (with multiple parts to each), and things are about to come to a head once the Nirvana reaches Mejele and Tarak. There are more surprises and plenty of action as Tekkadread the Second Stage reaches its climax. See you soon!


	25. Chapter 11, Part 1: End of the Line for

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Ranma ½, Vandread and Tekkadread belong to their respective creators, so please don't bother me while I write this story, okay?

: Thoughts

: Telepathic communication

**Chapter 11**

**Part 1**

**End of the Line for Mejele...**

The planet of the telepaths...

"So you're not going to change your mind?" Meia asked as she and a few others were bidding goodbye to a friend.

Misty shook her head as she faced her comrades from the Nirvana. On her shoulder, her holographic friend Q-chan squeaked in agreement. The fourteen-year-old (technically seventy-seven), was prepared for her new life on the world of telepaths and the refugees of Mission Delta Six.

"I've been considering leaving the ship and settling down for a long time now." Misty said with a slight sadness in her voice. "Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed my time on the Nirvana and I've made some really good friends, but... I think that it's time for me to begin my own life. Besides, living on a ship that's mostly made up of women is kind of hard for me... especially with our different... ideas about men... you know what I mean?"

Meia nodded in understanding, but remained silent. She knew about Misty's infatuation with Slade, and she felt a bit guilty as a small part of her was happy that Misty would no longer be on the ship and chasing after him. The former Dread pilot had grown closer toward him and there would be one less competitor. She quickly banished such thoughts as her friend continued.

Misty shrugged as she put on a happy, though forced expression. "Hey, it's okay. Besides, I really didn't feel that I fit in. The people here are really friendly and they've already set up a place for me to stay. And the others from Mission Delta Six are also willing to help me settle down. It'll be all right, and I would like to wish you all the best of luck." She extended her hand out toward Meia.

The blue-haired Tekkaman grasped the hand in her own and shook it. She then drew her toward her and gave her a farewell hug, which Misty returned.

Neither girl saw the tears brimming in each other's eyes.

----------

**It is a pity that you cannot stay longer Slade... or do you prefer Ranma?** The shaman said as he telepathically spoke with Nodoka's son.

Slade nodded as he replied. "Yeah, well a lot of things have happened in the past few weeks and I have to see this through to the end. And by the way, I prefer to be called Slade. I don't care much for the name of Ranma." He briefly thought of his conversation with Magno a few days ago, then tabled those thoughts for later, much later. "Well, I guess this is goodbye..." He turned around to leave for the shuttle.

**One moment Slade...** The shaman put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. As the Tekkaman turned about, the elder man projected his thoughts. **I sense great anger and intensity within you. In finding your past, you have also found the anguish and suffering that you had endured long ago, correct?**

Slade gave the old man a lopsided smile. "Heh. Well that's one way of putting it. I found lost memories that should have stayed lost. They've brought me nothing but pain and misery, and I definitely would have been better off never knowing who I used to be." Again an image of Magno entered his mind, then was quickly dismissed.

**But those memories are a part of you Slade. They are what shaped you into who you are now. And they cannot be denied any more than you could deny your soul.**

"Hmpf. It doesn't really matter now. I'm Slade, now and forever. Ranma Saotome died centuries ago and that's that."

**So you say. However, you needed to find your past in order to find yourself in the present and lead you towards your future. Learning from your past, is always the best way to shape one's destiny. Perhaps if you were to speak to someone who has learned that hard lesson, you will see the value of what I am telling you now.**

"Yeah, and who might that be?"

As if in answer to his question, a certain someone appeared from behind a tree. There was the telltale hum of a hover-motor as he approached the two in a high-tech wheelchair. When he came into view, Slade immediately recognized him.

"_YOU!_"

Rabat nodded as he spoke to the Tekkaman with his thoughts. **You were right. You did send me to Hell. It would have been more merciful if you _HAD_ killed me.**

The trader was in a sorry state as both of his arms and legs had been amputated when he had been harvested. His face was riddled with scars, as well as the rest of his body. The technological eyepatch now covered the open socket of the missing left eye. Much of what was left of his human form was now linked up with an elaborate life-support system. Tubes and wires were constantly pumping nutrients and solutions into him to keep him alive.

Slade's hands clenched into fists as he tensed up. He then growled at the former Harvester agent. "What are you doing here? And more importantly, what makes you think I won't finish the job? Give me one half-decent reason why I shouldn't reduce you into a smear for all of the suffering and death you caused? For all of those planets you betrayed to the Harvesters! Tell me why I shouldn't just put you out of everyone's misery!"

Rabat was silent for a moment in contemplation then telepathically replied. **Actually, I can't think of a single reason why you shouldn't kill me. Then again, I don't have anyone to blame but myself for what happened. So go ahead. I deserve to die for what I did.**

"Huh?"

The sincerity in his thoughts caught Slade off guard. Due to the telepathy, he could feel the emotion in Rabat's thoughts and they were of genuine regret, coupled with a desire for atonement. From prior experience, Slade knew that Rabat could not be trusted. So why was he sensing actual remorse from this traitor?

**Go ahead.** Rabat urged. **And make certain that my end is as _PAINFUL_ as possible. I won't stop you... not that I could anyway. I know it's not much of a penance, but at least all of those planets I sold out will get some measure of justice. I've got a lot to answer for when I see my Maker, but at least I can do something good with my life... by ending it.**

This sudden admittance of his sins, coupled with a need to make amends for them, caused the anger in Slade to subside and his curiosity to surface. He relaxed his fists and asked in a suspicious tone, "What happened to you?"

Rabat shrugged his shoulders. **They say that one reaps what one sows and I should have realized that I was planting a very bitter crop...**

----------

Meanwhile, on Mejele...

Tekkaman Dagger, Axe and Rapier surveyed the devastated landscape with satisfaction. The invasion of the all-female planet was going well and nearly all resistance had been crushed. More than a hundred thousand Tekkapod spore plants had already taken root into the planet's surface and soon the entire populace would become the minions of the Radam. There were some small bands of Mejele's inhabitants that continued to hold out against the legions of Spider-Crabs, but they were considered inconsequential and would soon fall under the might of Darkon's armies.

The remnants of the world's space forces were scattered and no longer presented a threat to the Radam. Their mighty planetary defenses proved to be no match against the invaders and were easily overrun. Soon they would capture the major cities of Mejele and every one of the women, from the very old, to the newly born, would become slaves to Darkon... or perish.

----------

In her citadel, Grand Ma let off a sigh and shook her head. To think that it would come to this. Their much-vaunted technology and superiority over the men of Tarak, had come to naught against these cruel destroyers. Their great space fleets had been reduced to a paltry force of a few dozen ships. Hundreds of thousands of brave women had been slaughtered. Those that had not been killed outright were captured by the aliens, and the elderly supreme leader of Mejele didn't even want to think what had become of them.

In the beginning, the women had encountered only those strange Spider-Crabs. Those monsters were mindless and it was thought that with enough power, they could be stopped. However, as time passed, it was apparent that it would take all the power of Mejele's military, just to hold them at bay. There seemed to be no end to them and for every one that was destroyed, a dozen more would take its place. It looked as if the females would be overwhelmed by their sheer force of numbers.

Then, the Tekkamen came...

From that point on, Mejele lost a great many of its daughters. Those strange armored beings, each possessing unimaginable power, made short work of all who stood in their way as they directed the Spider-Crabs. Many more of the women fell to the enemy. With the majority of the surviving inhabitants now grouped in the massive, underground shelters that had been built in case of planetary disaster, Grand Ma had to consider the unthinkable... abandoning the planet.

In other words, another Great Migration... to Tarak.

The aged woman felt every one of her years weigh down on her shoulders as she came to a decision. To ensure the survival of her people, they would have to leave their homes and forsake all those who had been captured by the aliens. And they would have to cast aside their ingrained prejudices against the men... for they were their last hope against extinction. The planet Tarak had not yet been touched by those grotesque spore plants and its inhabitants were putting up better resistance against the invaders. Ironically, that which made them inferior in the eyes of the women was their edge against the aliens.

Men were considered brutish and uncontrolled savages, especially in those barbaric machines called Vanguards. However, it was that aggressive drive and experience with close-combat which made them more effective against the hordes of Spider-Crabs. Their planet was a desolate wasteland, but that worked in their favor as the environment was less suited for the alien spore plants to propagate. They were not as dependant on technology as the women, so they relied more on their base instincts. They didn't need much to survive and their lack of vanity over personal appearance ensured that they did not squander precious resources.

To put it simply, the men of Tarak and the women of Mejele would have to join forces, if the human race were to survive.

----------

Meanwhile...

"All right Rabat. What's the catch?" Slade asked suspiciously.

**No catch. No deal. No hidden agenda.** The crippled trader replied. **I'm asking... no, I'm begging you... to _KILL ME_.**

"Just like that? Not that I'm not tempted, ('cause I really am in the mood I'm in), but it's not like you to willingly ask for assisted suicide. Everything you've done, it was to save your own hide, at the cost of countless millions!"

**And as you can see, I've got very little left of my hide to save.** The former Harvester agent sighed. **I'm not asking for forgiveness for what I've done. Hell, if I were in your position, I would have atomized someone like me a long time ago. They _TORE_ me apart, Slade. They threw poor Utan into space. They didn't even give me a chance to explain. I was no longer useful to them, since I couldn't get any more information for them. To them, I was just spare parts.**

"And just _NOW_ you want to pay for all your crimes?" Slade said incredulously.

**Better late than never, I suppose. Then again, what they did to me wouldn't even come close to paying back what I owe. I experienced first hand what they did to all those people I betrayed. They didn't just kill their victims and take their organs. They tore them apart piece by piece, keeping them alive for as long as possible to ensure that the body parts were in the best condition. You know what that feels like? It was like being constantly cut into and pulled apart. Every time they sliced off skin, removed a piece of bone, or plucked an eye, you could feel each sensation. You begin to wish for death, but they won't let you die until every part of you is dismembered. You don't die until they decide to let you die. By then, there's not enough left of you to cover a nanochip. I saw them do it to hundreds of people, before they started on me. And their screams still haunt me in my sleep. Those images keep me awake at night. And when the Harvesters were destroyed by the Radam, it didn't end there. What the organ-hunters did to humankind didn't even _BEGIN_ to compare to the cruelty those aliens were capable of. Ever hear of a Radam mind-parasite?**

Slade nodded as he remembered the attack by Tekkadread Carnage. "I've seen those things. They forced a couple of our comrades to turn against us. They nearly destroyed the Nirvana."

**They are the Devil's tools. They take over your mind and will. At least with the Harvesters, my thoughts were still my own. But with the Radam, I wasn't even given the luxury to _THINK_! And they brought out the darkest parts of my inner self, making me see every detail of my sins. It was like an unending nightmare, but the problem was that I wasn't sleeping. Do you know what it's like to be that helpless in both body and mind? I would have lost all hold on reality if I hadn't eventually landed on this planet. These people helped me understand the hard lessons that they tried to teach me before, but I was too arrogant and stupid to listen.**

This comment caught Slade by surprise as he addressed the shaman. "You knew Rabat from before? How long have you known him?"

**For several years.** The telepath replied mentally. **Rabat came to us in a scout ship, a little before the Harvesters first started attacking planets. He was lost both physically and spiritually. We tried to educate him, and help him find his way. We had sensed that he would eventually come in contact with the Chosen One... namely you.**

"Me? What are you talking about?"

**We knew from the day we lost our voices, that a savior would come and rescue humankind from a threat that was even greater than the Harvesters. At first we thought it was Rabat, but when you came a few years later, we knew that the time of deliverance was drawing near. This angered Rabat, since he thought he was the Chosen One. I suppose his disappointment fueled his anger, but we never expected him to betray his own kind to the Harvesters. However, though his body could not be saved, his soul could be salvaged. Thanks to you, he has seen the error of his past and wishes to atone. Can you not let this go and do the same?**

Rabat nodded solemnly. **I wouldn't hold it against you if you wasted me here and now. I most certainly deserve it. But I'd like to tell you this. Take it from me. It doesn't do you any good to ignore your history, because it's _ALWAYS_ going to come back to you. I learned too late of the price one pays when one decides to disregard what one has done and learned in the past. Don't let that happen to you.**

Slade angrily raised a hand and began powering up for a ki blast, aiming it directly at Rabat. How dare this traitor preach to him about never forgetting one's past? It was his life and it didn't need any reminders of what he was as Ranma Saotome and of his mother... Nodoka. As he prepared to vaporize the former Harvester agent, an image of his mother appeared in his mind.

She represented all the pain, bitterness and loneliness that he suffered while growing up. She had abandoned him and left him without a shoulder to cry on, or a loving embrace. He had endured the Cat Fist, the Anything Goes training, the humiliation of being hunted by the law for crimes his father committed, the near-drowning at Jusenkyo and the centuries of being in the Tekkapod; ALL without his mother. Magno had _SOME NERVE_ to think that she could just pick up where she left off centuries ago, calling him her beloved son. _HAH!_ He never needed his mother then and he didn't need her now! And he most certainly didn't need a former traitor telling him how to live his life!

Slade's hand trembled as all of his inner energies were being focused and primed. Rabat took a deep breath and prepared for the end. There was a long, silent pause as not a word, spoken or mental, was said. Then the Tekkaman powered down and simply walked away from area.

----------

Some time later...

Slade leaned against a tree and stared up at the night sky, deep in thought. He wondered why he didn't destroy Rabat when he had the chance and eventually came to the conclusion that anything that he did to the scumbag now, wouldn't have made any difference. Rabat was already living in Hell and he would have to deal with it for the rest of his life and beyond. Then his words came back to him.

Rabat: Take it from me. It doesn't do you any good to ignore your history, because it's _ ALWAYS_ going to come back to you.

It was then that he sensed the approach of someone. He could tell by the shuffling footsteps and the impact of a walking cane who it was. He neither faced Magno nor acknowledged her presence as he continued to gaze at the star-studded sky.

Vivian Magno, or rather Nodoka Tensuke, (formally Saotome), could feel the anger in the air. She had wanted to speak with her newly found first-born son, but after their last conversation, she had to tread gently and choose her words carefully. She believed he meant what he said when he threatened to leave the Nirvana if she ever revealed to anyone on the ship that she was his mother. She had later told Duero and Parfet not to say anything, since they already knew about Slade's heritage, due to their research into his past and Nodoka's.

Oh, but how she wanted to embrace her long-lost child once more. It had been a terrible blow to her when she had been told of Ranma's death. After losing her second son Kenji, Nodoka had sworn never to have children again, for fear of losing them and suffering the pain of outliving one's offspring. After taking up the identity of Vivian Magno, she stuck to her vow and it wasn't until becoming captain of the Mejele Pirates, that she began to feel the joys of being a parent again.

The crew of the Nirvana were like her children, and every one of the one hundred and fifty members were surrogate daughters. However, now that her first child Ranma had miraculously returned to her, she had begun to hope to regain that which she had thought was lost to her. She had been given another chance to be the mother that she should have been. She should have _ NEVER_ let Genma take him away from her, and she'd be damned if she allowed the Radam, or anything else take him from her again.

But, it seemed that dream was dead the moment it was realized, as her son felt nothing but resentment and bitterness toward her. In retrospect, she couldn't really blame him. After all, where was she when he was growing up with just his father? During her first life as Nodoka Saotome, she had been informed by the police of all the crimes her husband had committed over the time he was training Ranma.

She still held out hope that she and her son could reconcile and become a family again. She had even entertained thoughts of becoming a grandmother. She already knew about the feelings that Jura, Meia and Dita had toward her son. She smiled at the image of little versions of Ranma and her surrogate daughters running about.

However, with his promise to leave the Nivana once the Radam were defeated, and their destination only a mere week away, she didn't have much time. Once the enemy was dealt with, Ranma would once again disappear from her life, this time for good. She could not bear to lose him all over again. A slight moisture began to form in her eyes...

"Well? Are you going to just stand there, or did you come to tell me something... Captain?"

The tone in which he addressed her left Magno with little doubt that he wanted nothing to do with her. She quickly blinked away the tears and took a deep breath before replying. "The Nirvana is now fully stocked and all repairs have been made. We will be arriving at the Mejele and Tarak sectors within seven days. It's time for us to leave."

"I'll be at the shuttle in an hour." Slade said simply.

"Very well."

There was another long pause between them. The tension in the air became even more dense.

"Was there something else... Captain?" Slade stressed.

Nodoka was tempted. She was so tempted to wrap her arms tightly around her son and cry, but she knew that if she did so, she would run the risk of losing him. She still had a week to try and bridge that gap between them that had spanned the centuries. At the very least, he would still be with the Nirvana for a little while longer.

"No, there isn't anything else. I'll see you back at the Nirvana."

With that, she turned about and walked away. She made certain that he would not see the tears that were streaming down her aged visage.

However, if she had stayed a little longer, she would have seen similar moisture forming in her son's eyes. He angrily wiped them away as wondered just where the humidity had come from.

----------

An hour later...

Misty looked up at the sky as she and several groups of the planet's inhabitants watched the shuttle rise up into the sky to rendezvous with the pirate vessel that was in orbit. As the craft became a distant dot of light, she sniffled a bit and let off a sigh. She had made her choice and it was time to begin her new life. On her shoulder, Q-chan squeaked and let off a tittering noise, as if it was trying to cheer him up.

_Well, that's it. Good-bye my Prince Charming. I'll never forget..._

"Hey there. What's a cute girl like you being all gloomy about?"

Misty turned about to address the person and her heart skipped a beat as she beheld a total HUNK!

"Hi, my name's Ghaleon Viperson, but I'm also known as Tekkaman Phantom."

----------

On the Nirvana...

"Are you sure that Ghaleon didn't want to come with us?" Meia asked as she and Slade watched the retreating image of the planet from the observation deck of the Bio-Park. "We could use his help against the Radam."

Slade shook his head. "No. He said that he was still needed to protect the refugees against any attack, should the Radam come their way. We're just going to have to make do with four Tekkamen, (five if you count the Doc), and whatever else we can muster. The Captain said that we'll rendezvous first with the other pirates that you had left behind when this journey first started."

"It will be good to see the others." Meia nodded as she smiled. She had lightened her mood considerably since she had met Slade. "You'll like them. They're good people and you won't find better fighters anywhere in the galaxy!" She then blushed a bit as she added. "Present company excepted."

Slade smiled a bit. "Well, I'll take your word for it, though I'm not too sure that they'd welcome a man with open arms. I mean, no offense, but they are from Mejele and I wouldn't expect them to just forget the idea that men are the enemy."

"I'm sure they'll _ LIKE_ you." The former Dread Leader insisted, then added shyly. "After all, I got to like you... a lot."

This made the Tekkaman a bit nervous, especially with the look she was giving him. When their eyes made direct contact with each other, he swallowed hard as she began to lean forward.

"Uhhh... Meia?"

The girl leaned even closer and Slade's heart beat began to accelerate. Since when was she ever THIS forward?

"I mean I _REALLY LIKE_ you..." Meia stressed.

"Well, I... like you too... and... I..."

At that point, Slade's mental faculties were on standby as he found himself instinctively leaning toward her. As the distance between their lips began to shrink to less than an inch away, both began to feel an unknown force begin to draw them even closer together. Meia could almost taste the kiss...

"_MR. ALIEN!_"

Both Tekkamen winced as they turned to see the bubbly redhead approach them. Meia was irritated that her fellow space warrior interrupted what would have been her first kiss. As for Slade, he was annoyed that Dita was still calling him Mr. Alien.

"Dita... what did I tell you before? My name is Slade... or Ranma. I'm _NOT_ going to take this Mr. Alien nonsense any more! How many times do I have to _REMIND_ you! Does everything I tell you just goes in one ear and out the other! I've got enough to irritate me as is!"

The glare and tone of voice he used gave Dita a bit of a shock. Sure he had always been a little aggravated whenever she called him Mr. Alien, but now... the anger he displayed frightened her. She had only meant to greet him as she always did, and calling him Mr. Alien had just slipped out due to habit. She had been seeing less and less of him as they neared her home planet. She had also begun to notice that Jura and Meia were monopolizing their time with the White Tekkamen. She had started to fear that her competition was going to take him away from her.

Jura and Meia were her best friends and she would gladly lay down her life to help them. However, when it concerned Slade, she felt as if she was the only one who should be so close. She was the first one who met him and accepted him as part of the crew. She didn't care that he was a man and she was the first to combine with him. And then there was that time during Christmas when he gave her the rough diamond pendant. Her most intimate contact with him was during the time she had entered his mind and saw him as he really was... as Ranma Saotome, who had suffered a tortured and lonely childhood. Her heart had went out to him and she knew that she truly loved her Mr. Alien. (1)

Now, it seemed that her slip of the tongue may have caused a rift between them and irreparably damaged her relationship with him. Her expression became downcast and moisture started to form in her eyes.

When Slade saw that she was on the verge of tears, he immediately regretted his outburst. He hadn't meant to blow up on her, and he still couldn't stand to see a girl cry.

"Dita... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you..."

Dita immediately turned about and ran, not wanting to let anyone see the tears that were now running down her cheeks. She was gone in a heartbeat.

Slade shook his head sadly and sighed as he addressed Meia. "Damn! I really screwed up. I'm sorry Meia. We're going to have to talk later. I have to..."

Meia nodded as she replied. "It's all right. I understand. Go ahead."

The former Saotome noticed the disappointment in her eyes and voice. He nodded and turned to go after Dita. As he departed, he realized the irony. He had upset a girl with his insensitivity, and now he had to break another girl's heart, just so he could fix the heart of the first one. Ever since learning of his past as Ranma Saotome, his life had gotten very complicated.

----------

**_Knock! Knock!_**

"Dita? Can I come in?"

There was a long pause and silence, but no response. Slade took a deep breath and decided to enter. Using the override code, he made the door to her quarters open and stepped inside.

He found Dita sobbing away, face down on her bed. He slowly approached her and sat down beside her. The redhead took no notice of his presence as she continued to cry.

"Dita... I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to say all those things."

Dita wept for a minute before responding. "You hate me now... don't you?" (sob) "I mean, why should... you even want to be with someone... (sob), when she can't even say your name right?"

Slade shook his head as he gently placed a hand on her left shoulder. "Dita... I don't hate you for not using my name."

Dita stopped sniffling as she sat up and faced him. It pained Slade to see her cheeks red and puffy from her tears. She took a deep breath, then said, "You don't?"

The White Tekkaman shook his head while giving her shoulder a gentle pat. "No, I don't. It's just that a lot of things have happened to me and I just learned of something that really got me on edge." An image of Magno crossed his mind briefly. "When I heard you call me Mr. Alien again, I lost it. I didn't mean to lash out at you. I'm sorry."

"What is it? What got you so angry? " She asked as she forgot her sadness to feel worried about him.

"Well... I'd rather not talk about it." He replied. "It's something I've got to work out on my own. Just so you know, it's not your fault or anyone else's. Can you forgive me?"

Dita's smile came back as she was assured that everything was all right. There's nothing to forgive, silly! I'm glad that you don't hate me!" She then quickly embraced him in a joyous hug. "I promise to call you by your name from now on! Do you want to be called Slade, Ranma or D-Boy?"

Slade stiffened at the sudden display of affection, then decided to let it go. He sighed as he replied. "Slade will be fine."

The redhead then broke away as she pointed out happily. "I just realized something! You finally kept your promise!"

"Promise?" He thought for a moment, then caught on. "Oh, that's right. I did promise to come to your room."

He then took in his surroundings of Dita's quarters. As expected there was a hodgepodge of items and pictures concerning aliens was scattered about her living area. Though he did notice a few pictures of him and several members of the crew. One picture in particular caught his attention. It was him and Dita during the Christmas Party, along with the majority of the crew. He picked it up and smiled, remembering those good times. It was almost as if he had become part of the Nirvana family.

Then he felt a bit of depression at the thought of having a family. He didn't have any family, at least not anymore. The only person whom he could call as family was... Vivian Magno.

"Slade?"

He then put the picture down and turned to face Dita. He was a bit surprised to see her standing in front of him, considering that he didn't even sense her approach. What was more surprising was that she had called him by name, finally.

It was then that he noticed that she had the same look in her eyes that Meia had a few minutes ago, and that she was leaning toward him... and his lips.

Uh oh.

----------

The Planet Tarak...

"What did you say?" Grand Pa asked as one of his subordinates came to his quarters. In the subordinate's hands was a message pad.

"I am sorry to disturb you my Lord Grand Pa." He gave him a salute as he handed him the message that one of the long-range communications outposts had received. "This was just transmitted to Station 49A and decoded. It's from... Lady Grand Ma of Mejele."

The century-old supreme leader of the planet of men looked at the message and his eyes widened in disbelief. He looked back at the messenger and asked, "Are you certain that this message is genuine?"

"Absolutely Lord Grand Pa. The message was encrypted in the ancient code and was verified in triplicate. The DNA marker on the message matched exactly to the one that we have on file. Voice and frequency codes also matched. It is most definitely from Lady Grand Ma."

"I see. Very well then lieutenant. You are dismissed."

The young man saluted his leader, then left the old man to contemplate the message in silence.

_So... after all this time, you finally decide to contact me, eh? I can only wonder what would make you swallow your pride to speak with me after one hundred years..._

He then pressed the Playback Button and watched the screen of the message pad light up, displaying the ancient visage of his female counterpart. Then the image spoke.

"Lord Grand Pa... if you are hearing this message, then you must assume that my world of Mejele and yours of Tarak are in the most gravest of dangers. You must undoubtedly be aware of the strange alien forces that are attacking our worlds. They are unlike anything our two planets have ever faced before, and seem to be unstoppable."

The old man nodded as he remembered the reports that his military staff had given to him. So far, the men of Tarak had been able to hold back the vicious hordes of Spider-Crabs and prevent them from overrunning the outer boundaries of their sector of space. However, he had a feeling that the enemy was only testing the planet's defenses. He then continued to listen to the message.

"At first, I thought that it might have had something to do with the message I had received from the Magno Pirates several months ago. I had later scanned it. I also know that you had received a similar message from them, pertaining to a group called the Harvesters. Knowing you as I do, you probably scanned it once, then had it deleted. However, upon further investigation, I now have evidence to believe that this new threat is not the Harvesters, but something far worse. These aliens are not interested in our organs as the message from Vivian Magno had stated. Their only goal is the enslavement all humankind and total conquest. And if subjugation is not possible, then they are more than willing to send us into extinction. Already, countless thousands of the women have been slaughtered or captured. Our forces cannot stand against these monsters. It is with a heavy heart that I must consider the unthinkable... and have my people abandon their homes and planet. Mejele cannot be saved and we must forsake our home world... forever."

This caught Grand Pa by surprise. The men of Tarak would have never considered leaving their world. Certainly it wasn't as prosperous as Mejele, but it was theirs and they would defend it to the last man. They had taken everything the planet had thrown at them and survived. They had endured hardships on a scale that would have been unimaginable on the female world. Through it all, they had persevered and they'll be damned if they would let some unknown enemy take away what they had rightfully earned; the right to live free.

"I know that you may think of us as cowardly and soft for abandoning our world, but I only made this decision after weighing all of my options. As you know, members of the First Generation still slumber within cold sleep and it is both our duty to ensure that they will one day awaken. I cannot guarantee this if there is no world for them to live on. You too also must consider this. And so, I have already begun preparations for another Migration... to your home world of Tarak. We ask that you allow us to land on your planet."

At this point, Grand Pa began to think that Grand Ma had gone insane. After one hundred years of animosity between the genders, she was now planning to have the entire population of Mejele move to Tarak? She was expecting the men to just accept this proposal? After all that's happened between the sexes and what had caused the separation in the first place?

"I know that you think that I have gone mad to even suggest this, but we are left with no other option. Please Grand Pa... my husband... help us."

----------

On the Nirvana...

Slade shook his head as he walked down the hallway. Things had gotten really tense after barely managing to beat off Dita's advances yesterday. Apparently the naive red-haired girl was beginning to grow out of her childlike behavior and was now acting on her more... primal instincts. It had taken all of his willpower not to give in to his desires and tell Dita that he needed time to think.

The Tekkaman wondered just how much longer he could hold out against such temptation. It's not that he didn't want to, because in fact he had been constantly taking ice-cold showers that would have given anyone a terminal case of pneumonia. He _REALLY_ wanted to do it. He wanted to do the wild thing with Jura nonstop. He wanted to constantly keep Meia in a state of ecstasy. He wanted to hear Dita scream with pleasure. He wanted to...

**_ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH! I CAN'T DO IT! I WANT TO, BUT I CAN'T!_**

He took a few calming breaths and shook his head. In his heart, he knew why he was so reluctant. He couldn't risk breaking the hearts of the others if he were to choose any of the girls. And contrary to what Magno had told him before, he wasn't going to have numerous relationships, despite the captain's approval. He wanted to have a meaningful and intimate relationship with someone who loved him for who he was, and understood his feelings. The problem was, he could easily see himself having that kind of relationship with Jura, Meia, or Dita.

He tabled those thoughts for later as he was called to the Conference Room.

----------

At the Conference Room...

"As you know, we are now only five days away from Mejele's sector of space." Magno said as she gestured to a holographic star chart. "Before we try and make contact with the Mejele World Government, we will first be making a rendezvous with the other pirates that we had left behind during that raid on the Ikazuchi, one year ago."

Buzom nodded as she gestured to an area on the chart. "We will be arriving at the rendezvous point in three hours. Once we've filled them in on the Radam menace, we will then present our case to Lady Grand Ma."

The pirate captain nodded. "It has been some time since we've seen our comrades." She then glanced over to Slade, Bart and Duero, whom she had invited to the briefing. "I am taking a big risk in allowing you into our most secret place of operations. You three will be the first men to ever see our base."

Though giving no outward sign, BC tensed up a bit at the captain's statement.

Duero nodded as he held up a hand. "Rest assured Captain. I will not divulge any information to the Tarak military or government. I give you my word as this vessel's physician and as a friend."

Bart smiled as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, same for me too."

As for Slade, he gave the old woman an expressionless gaze, then said, "I won't tell any one. SOME secrets should be kept secret."

Magno nodded as she caught the hidden meaning in his words. Though it pained her each time he addressed her like that, she still had to keep hoping that it would all work out.

It was at that moment that Duero decided to reveal some good news for a change. "Oh yes, I wanted to inform all of you that Gascogne is now well enough to resume her duties as Head Supplier."

"Really? She's finally awakened and recovered from her injuries?" BC inquired.

The Tarak doctor nodded. "As of yesterday, her vital signs were deemed as normal and she no longer needs to remain in the Cryo-Pod. All of her injuries have been healed and she is now in the final stages of physical rehabilitation. I am confident that she will regain full strength and health within 12 hours. Therefore I have certified her as fit for duty."

"That's great Doc." Slade said with a smile. He had missed his old poker buddy, despite the fact that she regularly trounced him at cards. Then he realized something. With Gasco coming back, that meant that Ukyo XVII would no longer be running the Register and would be back on the Warrior Squadron.

Slade sighed as he hoped that he could smooth things over with her before they reached the pirate base.

----------

Fortunately for Slade, someone else was going to play peacemaker.

In the Sick Bay, Gascogne growled as she lay on the bed. She had just recently been revived from the Cryo-Pod and was anxious to get back to work in the Register. However, after spending months in hibernation, her strength had not yet fully returned and her limbs were weak and stiff from lack of use. Duero had assured her that she would be back on her feet in a few hours, but until then, she had to allow her body readjust to being alive again.

At that moment, the Sick Bay doors opened and in stepped one of her favorite stage hands, Ukyo.

"Ucchan!" The muscular woman smiled as she greeted the brown-haired girl. "It's about time someone decided to visit this old gal. So how has things been going in the Register since I became a Popsicle? I hear you've been taking good care of the my girls since then."

The younger female blushed a bit at the praise. It was rare when Gascogne gave out any kind of compliments. "It's been pretty rough since I had to fill in your shoes. It's good to have you back Ms. Gasco."

Gascogne scowled slightly at the nickname. "Now what did I tell you before? It's _GASCOGNE!_ The only person who's allowed to call me Gasco is D-Boy. By the way, how's things going with Slade? You two seemed to have been getting along before I took my long nap."

At that point, the descendant of the original Ucchan took on a hard expression. She was barely able to contain her rage over the source of her family's dishonor as she said, "Why would I want to associate with that dishonorable scumbag?"

This sudden reversal caught Gascogne completely by surprise...

----------

An hour later...

"You've not serious, are you?" Gascogne exclaimed. "_THAT'S _the reason why you hate D-Boy so much? And the reason why you hated men in general? Because of a cart that was stolen over five hundred and fifty years ago?" She had been brought up to speed over Slade's, or rather Ranma's past and how it had affected Ukyo the XVII's family throughout the generations.

"It was MORE than just a cart!" Ukyo insisted. "He dishonored my family when he took that okonomiyaki cart and left my ancestor behind! He _PROMISED_ to take her with him! He _PROMISED!_"

"Whoa! Slow down!" The Head Supplier waved her hands. "Let me get this straight. You're saying that _HE_ promised to take your ancestor with him when he took your family's cart? From what you told me, your ancestor and Slade were only six years old at the time. Why would a six-year-old make a promise like that?"

At this point, Ukyo bowed her head in embarrassment as she responded quietly, "Well, Slade was supposed... to..."

"Supposed to what?" Her superior pressed.

In the quietest voice she could manage, she whispered her reply. "He was... supposed to marry her."

"Huh? Marry? What's marry?" That term was totally unknown to the Mejele-born Head Supplier.

Ukyo swallowed hard as she tried to explain. "It's... heresy to even consider this on Mejele. The word 'marry'... means... like what we do on Mejele with ohmas and fahmas... but it's between a woman... and a man. The cart was supposed to have been my ancestor's dowry."

"Whoa." Gascogne left a bit dumbfounded. Sure she was aware that men and women used to live together, but for a Mejele woman to admit that the source of her centuries-long grudge was because her ancestor was cheated out of becoming the mate to a man was unbelievable.

Still, Ukyo's explanation of her hatred toward Slade didn't make any sense. Why would she be angry over something that had nothing to do with her? This happened centuries ago. Was she actually carrying an absurd grudge that had been passed down through sixteen generations?

"So now you know why I can't just forgive Slade for what he did to my family." Ukyo the Seventeenth finished.

"Yes, I know the reason WHY you're angry, but I can't _AGREE_ with it." Gascogne said. "Ucchan, I can't believe that THIS is why you hate men and Slade, especially after all he's done for you and this ship. If it weren't for him, NONE of us, including yourself would be here today."

"He dishonored my family!" Ukyo protested. "He must pay for what he's done!"

"Pay for what he's done, or what you _BELIEVE_ he's done?" Gascogne stressed. "Ukyo, what you're telling me is that you're hating D-Boy over something that happened centuries ago, and has been ingrained into you since you were born. And I don't believe that Slade would hurt anyone intentionally, or go back on any promise."

"How would you know? You weren't there!" Ukyo cried out.

"Neither were you." Her superior pointed out. "All you have is what your fahma has told you, which was told by her fahma and all those who came before her. I could understand Ukyo the First being mad over being deserted, but I can't see why you would be. And don't you think you should get Slade's side of the story before you pass judgment? He WAS there and he might be able to fill in the gaps."

"Maybe I can." A new voice said, drawing the attention of both women toward the door of the Sick Bay.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, Slade nodded to them. He had just come to the Sick Bay to check on Gascogne and had listened in on Ukyo the XVII's story. It had brought back long-forgotten memories of his early childhood. He _DID_ remember those happy times with the original Ukyo and how sad he had been when he was forced to leave her. He hadn't even realized that she had been a girl until after hearing her descendant's tale. Then certain aspects of those memories that had once been confusing to him were now finally clear.

His old friend's descendant snarled at him. "So you finally decided to admit to your crime and take your punishment?"

Slade shook his head as he unfolded his arms and took a neutral stance. "I didn't come here to atone for a crime I didn't commit."

"Liar! You _STOLE_ my family's cart and broke your promise to my ancestor! You ruined my family's honor and reputation!"

Slade shook his head again. "Ukyo... I'm telling you the truth. I didn't make any promises to my old buddy Ucchan to take her with me on that training journey. In fact, I didn't even know that she was a girl."

This caught the current Ukyo off-guard, as well as shocking Gascogne. "What!"

The Tekkaman sighed and said, "Oh come on now. Do you really think a _SIX-YEAR-OLD KID_ would know any better? Would he know about marriage and dowries? I do remember all those times with my old buddy Ucchan, but I never once remember her telling me that she wasn't a boy. She never wore any dresses and I never saw her naked. All I saw was somebody that I could play with. It was pretty lonely during that training journey and I had nothing but that idiot father of mine for company."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you _STOLE_ my family's cart and left my ancestor on the side of the road!" Ukyo shot back. "You went back on your promise!"

Slade let off another sigh. "I'm telling you that I _DID NOT_ make any promises to her when I left her. As for the cart, I do remember having it when Pops and I left, but I was told that it was a gift."

"You expect me to believe that!"

"It's what I remember. But, considering that my Pops was nothing but a lying idiot, and didn't make any sense at times."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I do remember him asking me one time if I liked Ukyo or okonomiyaki. I wasn't exactly sure why he was asking and he never told me the reason, so I just thought he meant food. So I said okonomiyaki. The very next day, he's running away with me and the cart and Ucchan was running after us."

"I think I'm starting to understand, D-Boy." Gascogne said as she started to hypothesize what may have occurred all those centuries ago. She then addressed Ukyo the XVII. "Ucchan, I believe Slade when he says that he never made any promises to your ancestor. I think that promise was made by his... what did you call him again, Slade?"

"My father. He'd be the ohma in this case. His name was Genma Saotome and he was a total moron." He let off a disgusted sigh as he remembered all the pain and suffering he had endured for ten years.

Gasco nodded. "Yes, well I think it was him, who made that promise and not you. After all, a six-year-old wouldn't even know about the concept of a dowry or marriage. It would make sense that the parent would arrange a marriage for his or her child, right?"

Slade nodded in agreement. "Come to think of it, Pops and Ucchan's dad used to talk a lot and it's possible that they could have made an agreement... oh no!" He snapped his fingers in realization. "NOW I GET IT! DAMN YOU POPS!"

"What are you talking about!" Ukyo demanded.

"NOW I know why he asked me if I liked Ukyo or okonomiyaki! That BASTARD! He wanted the cart but didn't want to keep his promise!"

The Head Supplier then filled in the last piece of the puzzle. "And when you said okonomiyaki, your thieving father took that as an excuse to take the cart. He just stole it, plain and simple.(2)" She then addressed Ukyo. "Slade wasn't the one who broke the vow to take your ancestor along, it was his father. He never informed Slade that he was offered the cart in exchange for a marriage between his child and her, and most likely would have put the blame on him."

"That sounds just about what Pops would do." Slade growled. "That idiot only thought about his stomach, and I usually ended up paying for all the crimes he committed!"

"It looks like Ukyo's family has been angry at the wrong person all this time."

"What!" Ukyo gasped.

Gascogne explained. "A six-year-old boy making a marriage arrangement for himself? I don't think so. However, a scheming parent who uses his own child as a bargaining chip, to steal from another family and not even telling his child about it, makes perfect sense. It explains why Slade can't remember the promise made to your family. He never made it and was never informed of it. And when he left without knowing that his father had committed a great wrong, I think that being abandoned would be traumatic to a young girl. And she was probably unaware that Slade didn't know about the promise either. So she blamed him for a crime that he didn't commit."

"I think you've got it, Ms. Gasco." Slade said as it all fit in with what he remembered.

"No! It can't be true!" Ukyo said while shaking her head in denial.

"It all fits." The Head Supplier said. "The anger that your family has had against Slade has been wrongly focused. He can't be held responsible for something that he neither knew about, nor agreed to. The true villain was his father, both for using his child's innocence and naiveté, and for stealing from your ancestor. This hatred that your family has maintained has been misguided and it's time that you finally let it go."

"No... it's not possible... I can't... believe..."

Ukyo sank to her knees as she went into a kind of zombie-like state. Her eyes became watery as the truth began to sink in. Everything that she had been taught to hate about Ranma Saotome since her birth had been for naught. Then, after a long while, she held up her hands to her face and started to weep with the realization that she had been hating him for no reason.

Slade knelt down beside her and gave her a shoulder to cry. He said nothing as he allowed Ukyo to let it all out. He got a nod of approval from Gascogne.

Finally, between sobs and sniffles, Ucchan spoke.

"I'm... sorry Slade."

------------

Two hours later...

On the bridge, Magno nodded to her crew as the ship reached the rendezvous point where it would meet up with the other pirates. Standing beside the aged captain, Slade, Duero, BC, Meia, Dita and Jura waited as Amarone continued to send out messages on all frequencies. A few minutes later, an encoded transmission was received.

The pirates had arrived.

The Nirvana came to a full stop as a dozen or so Dread fighters came into view. They were not part of Magno's squadrons, but rather a patrol fleet from the pirates' hidden base. It was then that a section of space shimmered and glowed. Miraculously, a huge asteroid appeared from out of nowhere.

On the main screen of the Nirvana's bridge, an attractive female with silver hair was displayed. She smiled as she greeted the crew.

"Greetings Captain Magno. It's been a while. We all thought that you and the others were lost during that raid a year ago. Everyone's glad to see that you had survived."

Magno nodded to her. "Hello Rebecca. It has been a long time, and there have been a lot of changes since that time."

"Yes, I can see that." The Dread pilot concurred as she looked at the transformed Ikazuchi. Then she noticed the men on the bridge. "Captain, may I ask why there are men on board your vessel? Are they prisoners?"

"No they are most certainly not." The hundred-plus woman replied. "In fact, without them, we wouldn't have been able to make it back. They are an integral part of my crew and they will be treated as such. We'll fill you in on the details once all of the other captains are assembled in the Great Hall. For now, my crew needs to disembark and get in some R & R."

"Roger that, Captain Vivian Magno. Allow us to escort you ship... uhm...?"

"My vessel's name is the Nirvana."

"Then allow my squadron to escort the Nirvana to Heaven's Haven."

"Heaven's Haven?" Duero asked.

Magno nodded. "Yes. That is the name of our base. We consider it to be our haven from the so-called paradise that was supposed to be Mejele. I trust that you remember the reason why we became pirates."

The physician nodded as he recalled the story that Gascogne had told him early on in the voyage. As he looked at the enormous asteroid that was before them, he understood the reason why the Tarak military could never find it. Not only was it hidden from sight with some kind of cloaking technology, but it was also outfitted with huge engines in the rear, meaning that it was mobile. It was never in the same place twice.

The Nivana was guided into the docking bay of the base.

---------

A few hours later...

Just about all of Magno's crew were overjoyed over the fact that they were finally able to leave the ship and reunite with their lost comrades and families. After spending a year out in uncharted space, the women of the Nirvana quickly took advantage of their furlough.

As for the rest of the pirates, they were glad to see their long-lost compatriots again, but the presence of men in their midst was a bit unsettling. However, the oddest things about Magno's crew were the changes in certain individuals due to their prolonged contact with the males.

Rebecca had a chance to finally see the child that Ezra had given birth to. As a new ohma, she was overjoyed to see little Nodoka, but she was more than irritated when Pyoro kept insisting that the child belonged to it and her name was Pyoro 2. However, the greatest surprise was when she was informed that her child had been given her name by a man.

And there were other instances in which the men had left an indelible mark on the lives of the crew...

----------

The Sick Bay of Heaven's Haven...

"No! No! No! What are you doing!" Paiway exclaimed as she chided a trainee nurse who was tending to a patient's burn.

"What are you talking about?" The trainee asked as she was about to bind the wound.

Paiway shook her head. "You don't just wrap up a burn like that without first administering a cellular disinfectant and bio-regenerator! You want her to have scars? And you're tying it all wrong! This is how you do it!" She quickly undid the wrap, applied the correct amount of medication, then expertly bound the arm of the patient. She then addressed the patient. "Keep that bandage on for 24 hours, and don't scratch!"

Paiway then moved over to another station and started lecturing another novice. "Why aren't you manually counting the beats?"

"Huh?" The novice said in confusion. "The Pulse Meter can do that..."

Paiway threw her hands up. "You forget how to count? What's going to happen if we have a power failure or a glitch in the system? Taking a person's vital signs is _VERY_ important and you don't have to waste power to do it!" She demonstrated by taking a thermometer out of one of her lab coat's pocket and stuck it under the tongue of the patient. She then took out a stethoscope and placed the probe on the patient's chest. She held up one hand of the patient and placed her index and middle fingers on the wrist. Fifteen seconds later, she wrote down the results on a pad. She showed it to the trainee, then rushed off to another station.

The trainee looked down at the figures, then looked at the screen of the Pulse Meter, which was just coming up with the results. Her eyes widened as the numbers on the screen matched exactly to what Paiway had written down.

High above in the observation deck, the Head Medical Officer watched in amazement as one girl tended to at least fifteen patients almost simultaneously. She turned to her subordinate and asked, "Who is she?"

The subordinate nodded as she read from a data pad. "According to our records, she's Paiway Underberg, age 13. She was the medical officer for Vivian Magno's crew during their disappearance. Though I am wondering just where she gained this kind of expertise. She has already correctly diagnosed several ailments and demonstrated proper procedures, all without using any of the standard equipment. In fact, she is showing skills that aren't regularly taught to first-year trainees on Mejele."

"Explain."

"Well, before she and the others disappeared, she was ranked as a Class D medic. She could barely dress wounds and administer basic medications, let alone use some of the more advanced machines. Now she is showing intricate knowledge of anatomy, chemistry, first-aid, preliminary diagnosis..."

**_SNAP! CRACKLE! POP!_**

Both women looked down when they heard the sounds of someone's spine being straightened. A patient was in a state of absolute relief as she was thanking Paiway for getting the kink out of her back.

"And apparently, she is also an expert in physical therapy and chiropractics." The subordinate continued. "And according to the report on her, she also possesses considerable experience in advanced surgery."

The Head Medical Officer stared in disbelief. She gulped and said, "And she learned all that in just one year? Who taught her all these skills? I don't think even the best medics on Mejele could perform as well as she is doing. Look at her! She's tending to those patients like a pro and she's barely even using the machines."

The subordinate then looked down at the rest of the report and her eyes widened in shock. "No... there must be a mistake!"

"What do you mean?"

"According to this report, she was the apprentice to the Chief Medical Officer of the Nirvana."

"I thought Paiway 'was' Vivian Magno's Chief Medical Officer."

"She was before the raid on the Ikazuchi. Afterwards, the crew had appointed a new Ship's Physician and Surgeon, which put Paiway under his command."

"_HIS_ command!" Her superior stressed.

The subordinate nodded, while still in a state of disbelief. "The Nirvana's doctor had come from Tarak. His name is... Duero McFile..."

"_YOU DON'T JUST SEND A PERSON TO THE JACUZZI WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE IT!_" Paiway shouted.

----------

Elsewhere on the base, Duero was feeling somewhat uncomfortable at all the stares he was getting. Since he and the rest of the crew were given some leave time until Magno completed her business with the other pirate leaders, he had decided to explore Heaven's Haven. To his surprise, the pirate base was more like an urban city, rather than a hideout and headquarters. There were streets, shops, restaurants, parks and recreational centers. It even had an artificial sky, thanks to specialized holographic systems. It was if the pirates had taken a chunk of Mejele and transplanted it within the confines of the asteroid. They may have left the political beliefs and vanity of their home world, but they had not abandoned the comforts that it had afforded.

Despite being among the wonders that were far different from his world of Tarak, Duero found it hard to enjoy himself right now. Granted he was the only male in the crowds of women, but even so, the looks he was getting was making him nervous. Especially when he had one girl hanging on each arm and neither one was making the slightest effort at being inconspicuous. In fact, Barnette and Parfet were in a bit of tug-of-war with him as the rope!

As soon as they found out that the doctor was going to look around the base, Parfet and Barnette immediately elected themselves to be his tour guide. However, each had different ideas as to where to lead the good doctor, and would rather prefer that the other would just get lost.

"I want to show him the Engineering Section!" Parfet cried out.

"He doesn't want to see some boring reactor!" Barnette shot back. "C'mon Razor! I know of some really fun places!"

"Like what? You'd probably drag him all over the gun shops and shooting galleries!" She then looked up at Duero and gave him a pleading look. "If you don't want to see the Engineering Section, then we can go somewhere else. Are you hungry? I know of this great restaurant!"

"Oh no! We're not taking him to some greasy spoon!"

Duero then tried to get a word in. "Uhm... I am unfamiliar with the term greasy sp..."

Barnette then tugged at his arm. "I have some living quarters here at Heaven's Haven. Let's go there, and I'll cook you a meal that'll put any restaurant and café to shame!"

As the two continued to argue, the crowds began to gather around them and Duero. Some were curious since this was the first time they had ever seen a man before, but most were just puzzled over the spectacle of two women competing for the attentions of one man.

----------

In another part of Heaven's Haven, Slade was finally loosening up and having some fun, especially after the emotional roller coaster he had been riding for the last few days. He was given a chance to forget his problems for a while as he had been lead to one of the more popular dance clubs. Along with him was Jura, Meia and Dita. Of course, being one of the few males in the city gave him more than his fair share of spectators, he gave everyone a good-hearted smile and showed them how to enjoy oneself.

To the amazement of all those who were watching, Slade showed exceptional grace and coordination as he moved to the beat of the music. He showed off some moves that he had learned during his planet-hopping days, including long-forgotten steps like the Twist, the Moonwalk, the Bump, and some moves from a certain fellow named Elvis Presley.

His dance partners and fellow Tekkamen were the only ones who could keep up with him, due to their enhanced endurance. Even the normally reserved Meia found herself letting go of her inhibitions and just feel the groove. She was already shocking many who knew her by going into public in a dress. And it was all because of a certain someone had managed to work his way into her heart.

Jura swayed and jiggled all over the place as she gyrated in time with Slade and the music. She was glad to see the future ohma to her children finally showing a more fun side. Maybe now he'd consent to giving her what she desired the most, and it wasn't just his seed she was after any more.

Dita smiled as she watched Mr. Alien... no, Slade enjoy himself. It made her so happy to see him smile. He had been so moody and emotionally drained lately. And now with their journey nearly at an end, maybe he would consider becoming part of the crew. It was her dearest wish that she could be with him, always.

----------

Unfortunately, the time for rest and relaxation would soon end as Magno finished with her conference with the other pirate leaders. And the news had not been good.

Mejele had been lost.

Author's Notes

Wow! That was a _LONG_ one! In any case, in part 2, an old enemy appears as this story begins to reach its climax. We'll get to see what has happened as the women of Mejele are forced to live and work with the men of Tarak. Be there for Chapter 11 part 2, Family Reunions.

(1) Yeah, I know that Dita can be a bit of an airhead. However, she's got some good points and just remember that she's got to compete with Meia and Jura for Slade's affections, despite the fact that they're both her closest friends.

(2) I've always wondered why Ranma was always blamed for his response for choosing okonomiyaki over Ukyo. Genma never told Ranma of the engagement he was offered with the cart as a dowry. In the Ranma ½ series, Genma placed the blame on Ranma, because of his response, but in actuality, he was the one at fault by _NOT_ telling Ranma of promise, nor telling him _WHY_ he wanted to know which Ranma liked better. I have a feeling that he didn't tell his son on purpose, so that he could use his son's response as an excuse to steal the cart and not even bothering to think of the consequences. Furthermore, I think that Ukyo harbored a hatred against Ranma, due to the fact that he was actually unaware of all of this. Overall, this cart episode _WASN'T_ his fault, but rather the unfortunate result of his father's manipulations.


	26. Chapter 11, Part 2: Family Reunions

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Ranma ½, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread all belong to their respective creators, so get off my back!

: Thoughts

: Ancient Mandarin

**Chapter 11**

**Part 2**

**Family Reunions**

"The entire Mejele Outer and Inner Defense Fleets were almost completely annihilated, with more than four-fifths of the planet now under Radam control. Those were the latest reports." Slade's mother shook her head as she, BC, and Gascogne gathered in the Main Conference Room of the Nirvana. She was now discussing the events on Mejele that had been reported to her during the meeting between the pirate leaders. "To think that all of that firepower, hundreds of spacecraft and hundreds of thousands of crew weren't enough to stop those monsters. There's barely enough of our home world's military left to put up any token resistance. And now the unthinkable has happened. I have just received word that Lady Grand Ma has ordered a planetary evacuation and migration… to Tarak."

"Tarak?" The Head Supplier exclaimed. "Things _MUST_ be desperate if the people of Mejele are willing to just drop the 'Hate-All-Men' standard and live side by side with them."

BC nodded without emotion as she said, "When faced with something as dire as enslavement or total extinction, racism becomes less a priority compared to survival. Tarak is the only planet near enough to support human life, although just barely. Though I can just imagine how the men are going to react to these developments."

"Yes, I suppose you could." The hundred-plus woman remarked with a knowing smile as she decided to let her subordinate know about a few things. "After all, you did grow up there, now didn't you?"

This caught both Ms. Gasco and the First Mate by complete surprise.

"_SAY WHAT?!_" The Head Supplier exclaimed.

The silver-haired Commander was especially shocked by this revelation. "W-W-What?!"

Magno let off a small chuckle. "Oh come now. After all the time we've been together, you didn't think I wouldn't figure it out? Contrary to what Slade once accused me of being, I'm old, but I'm _NOT_ senile. Actually, I knew almost from the start that you were really a spy from Tarak and that you're a HE, not a she. The signs were all there. You _NEVER_ bathed with the other members of the crew, even though your body was surgically altered to appear female. You already knew how to read men's language. You showed knowledge of Tarak medical procedures when you aided Paiway in saving Barnette and Duero. You showed proficiency with projectile firearms, especially with weapons used by the Tarak military. And of course, I asked for Duero's report on your latest physical, which revealed that you possessed a Y-chromosome in your genetic makeup."

"A Y-chromosome? What's that?" Gascogne asked.

Magno nodded to the muscular woman. "I'm not surprised that you know nothing about it. You were raised on Mejele and was taught about how the women reproduced. I, of course, am from the First Generation and know about the old ways." _Though actually, Ranma and I are even older than the founders Mejele and Tarak._ Magno thought to herself before continuing. "To put it simply, there are two very specific genetic traits that determine the gender of the baby before it is even born. They are called the X and Y-chromosome. If the person possesses two X-chromosomes, she is born as a female. However, if the baby has one X and a Y-chromosome, then he will be male."

"Really?"

"Yes. And since everyone on Mejele is female; when the genes of one parent is spliced with the egg of the other, then the child will ALWAYS be a girl, since each parent donates an X-chromosome. However, since everyone on Tarak is male, it is quite possible that either a male or female child can be created. A parent on that planet can donate either an X or Y-chromosome. Which is most likely the reason why the Tarak government closely scrutinize every fetus in their 'factories' to ensure that that only males are produced."

"So that's what Slade meant when he told Jura that she would only get a 50 chance of having a baby girl with his seed."

"That's right. And when I read Duero's report on BC's medical file, I learned that she, or rather he had been taking large amounts of female hormones on a regular basis. That of course, coincided with my suspicions about our First Mate."

She then pointed with an index finger to the gem-studded choker BC was wearing. "And you've never, _EVER_ taken that off, even though it clearly showed at times that it was very uncomfortable. Now why would such a thing be uncomfortable, unless it happens to be pressing up against something… like an extended larynx? I believe that the doctor referred to it as an Adam's Apple. I'm willing to wager that the choker is actually some kind of voice-altering device, correct?" She then gave her second-in-command a nod. "Let's hear your real voice, shall we?"

The dark-skinned person let off a sigh as it was apparent that the jig was up. Seeing that there was no point in denying what the captain had already deduced, she or rather he, reached up toward the neck ornament and pressed the large gem on the front. Then BC replied in a much deeper and more masculine tone, "I always suspected that you knew. Though I would like to know why you never revealed my secret to anyone."

Vivian took on an expression of mock surprise. "What? And lose the best First Mate I've ever had? I knew that you were here to spy on us, but in the years you've been with us, you've always served me with honor and a loyalty that has made me proud. There were many instances that you could have betrayed us to the Tarak military, but you never did."

Getting over her initial shock, but still in a state of disbelief, Gascogne cut in. "I'd like to know that too! I still can't accept that you're really a man, but to find out that the captain knew, but never told anyone, that's just unbelievable! So why didn't you turn us in?"

"Would you have followed her orders, if you knew that she was really a _HE_?" The captain pointed out. "Would any of the crew have followed BC if the truth was known? Would we have gotten as far as we did without her… excuse me, _HIS_ help? I think not." She then addressed Buzom. "Now then, will you answer her question BC? Why didn't you betray us to Tarak?"

Just as he was about to answer, the aged woman held up her right hand, stopping him. "Oh, would you please use your normal voice? Your real one is nice, but I prefer to hear the truth from my trusted First Mate."

"You still trust me, even though you know the truth?" Buzom asked.

"Of course I do. You wouldn't be my Second-in-Command if I didn't."

BC smiled as he reached up and pressed the gem on his choker. In his or rather her voice, she explained. "Originally, I was assigned to spy on the pirates as a way to gain intelligence on Mejele. Since your crew was the most involved with the raids on both Tarak and Mejele convoys, it was logical to join you. At first, I was like any other man from Tarak, with my ingrained hatred of women. However, as time went by, I began to tolerate, even enjoy the company of women. You were not the monsters that our propaganda minister had always taught to us."

"I should think so." Magno stated.

"And, sometime along our travels together, I began to realize that the hatred between men and women made no sense. Why did the Tarak leaders say that men and women could never coexist together, when I had been doing just that with you and the pirates? And the longer I stayed, the more I became convinced that men and women can live together. So I had decided not to betray you to my superiors. So every time I had to make a secret report to headquarters, I would only give them just enough information to keep them happy, but not enough to seriously hurt the pirates and especially this ship's crew. And I think that with Slade and the other men on board this vessel, I believe that we can bridge the gap between the two genders. I believe that is time that we ended this 'War Between the Sexes' because we need each other. Male or female, we're all _HUMAN_ and we all have to work together against the Radam if anyone is to have any future."

"I believe that as well." The aged captain concurred. "And I believe that you, Slade, Duero and Bart will be instrumental to the cause, and to mediating an alliance between our peoples… when we arrive on Tarak."

"So when are we heading out?" Gascogne asked.

"Though I would prefer to give the crew some more time to rest and recuperate after our long voyage, time is something that we can ill-afford." She sighed as she had also wanted extra time to attempt to reconcile with her first-born son. "In two days, we will head for Tarak."

"And when we get there?" BC inquired.

"I can only hope that they are all willing to unite in this common goal. As for what happens afterward…" Magno let off another sigh as an image of Ranma appeared in her mind. "… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

Meanwhile…

Deep in space, a small fleet of just over one hundred large vessels and their escorts sped through the star-studded void. In the most heavily-guarded cruiser, the leader of the people of Mejele sat in the main control bridge. As she watched the main view screen of the bridge, she continued to contemplate how things had come to this. The planet of Mejele had been lost. Those who had escaped the Radam onslaught, had become refugees. Everything they had was gone. They were now wanderers and heading toward a world in which most had been taught to hate since birth.

In a way, it was a wake-up call to show just how complacent the women had been, especially with their dependence in technology. The alien invaders had made short work of their much-vaunted military by targeting their vital communications systems, taking out the main arsenals, and devastating their defense forces and bases. Medical and food centers were also hit, denying the females the supplies they required. And most of all, they disrupted their power and computer systems, using those horrid Tekkapods to siphon off vital energy resources that could have been used against them. As they were stripped of their technological advantages, the Mejele women found themselves at a loss of what to do.

When Grand Ma saw that there was no hope to save their home and gave the order to abandon the planet, the women had to learn quickly one of the standard lessons that the men of Tarak already knew, and that was practicality. They could only take what they needed to survive. Anything else was to be left behind. As a result, many of them lost nearly all of their worldly possessions. High-ranking individuals with wealth and power were reduced to the same level as the poor classes. Luxury items and trinkets were either abandoned or dismantled to be used as raw materials. If it did not serve any useful purpose, then it was to be considered as deadweight.

Many people tried to smuggle an assortment of frivolous items, but when those things were found, they were either broken apart or tossed out of the airlocks. The ships, though very large, could only hold so much and most of their spaces were packed with people. Just about every cargo hold was filled to capacity and there was scarcely enough room for anyone to move about with much freedom. A large number of those chambers were stacked with the cryogenically frozen forms of the original crews of the colony ships. If the people of Mejele and Tarak were to perish, then these individuals would be the hope for humanity's future.

Grand Ma sighed as she felt not only the weight of her people's troubles on her shoulders, but also began to consider what would happen once the fleet reached Tarak space. If her message had gotten to her former husband Grand Pa, and if he were to agree to let the women settle on his planet, then perhaps they could come to some kind of truce. Uniting the two genders against the Radam, would be the most feasible path, if they could put aside a century's worth of animosity.

Then again, those were some very big IFs. However, there was no other choice. Mejele's military was in no shape to take on the aliens. They had no home planet, and the Radam were hot on their heels. Only a great sacrifice and last stand by the remaining fleet commanders of the Inner Defense Forces had allowed the surviving populace to escape. The elderly woman shuddered as she didn't even want to think about what would happen to those who were now captives of the merciless Radam.

* * *

The Radam Mothership…

Tekkaman Dagger snorted in disgust as he watched the female captive within the Tekkadread scream out in agony. Suspended within the fluids of the pod, the woman writhed and convulsed as the Tekkapod forced more and more energy into her, causing her body to implode from within. Finally, her body couldn't take any more as it stiffened and imploded from within. The pod then split open and released its contents onto the floor of the maturation chamber. The corpse then broke apart into gory pieces and disintegrated in a pool of blood and fluids. The armored figure growled as yet another attempt to make a Tekkaman had failed. Behind him, the Radam Warlord approached and stopped to stand behind him.

"How goes the process?" Darkon asked though he already knew the answer.

"Bah!" Dagger gritted, then apologized. "I am sorry Lord Darkon. I am simply disappointed in such low-grade material. These prisoners were not even worth the trouble to capture! They are so weak! So far, NONE of them could even survive the first phase of the Tekkaman Power Process! Their only use is as food for the Tekkapods!"

"I suppose we should not be so surprised." Darkon concurred. "These Mejele women were too dependant on their technology and were raised mostly in controlled environments, unlike the men of Tarak. I'm not at all surprised their forces fell so easily to our Spider-Crabs. They aren't as hardy as their male counterparts. However, I do hope that we will be able to convert at a few of them into Tekkamen. They would be very useful in our upcoming invasion of Tarak."

"Hmpf! Even if we do manage to transform some of them, they _WON'T_ last long. I would estimate that they would burn themselves out within weeks, perhaps even days! The only females on record that have become fully-functional Tekkamen, are Rapier and those three women on the Nirvana. Then again, those women were pirates and were exposed to many other factors in deep space. That would have toughened up their bodies to withstand the transformation. As for Rapier, she was once a Harvester with the best body parts taken from other human worlds. I'm very certain if we were to take some Tarak prisoners, they would make much better Tekkamen candidates."

"Do what you can with what you have. It shouldn't take much time to conquer Tarak, despite their considerable resistance. Besides, I have other contingencies in order to boost our forces."

As the two discussed their plans, yet more Mejele prisoners were forced into the Tekkapods and their tortured screams echoed throughout the ship.

* * *

As more women died by the dozens every hour, in a distant section of the Radam Mothership, another figure floated within a Tekkapod. However, unlike the Mejele prisoners, this individual had already undergone the Tekkaman Power Process and was now attempting to boost his powers past their limits. And once he emerged from the confines of the pod, he would let no one stand in the way of his revenge against the one he hated most… Slade.

Saber had remained within the pod for more than a month now, as the energies with the suspension fluid were continually being fed into his body's cells. It was a long and extremely agonizing process that would have drove a normal man totally insane, if his body had not imploded first. Every second he was inside the Tekkapod was like an eternity of pain, but Slade's half-brother never uttered a sound. All he could think of was to finally destroying his rival and prove once and for all, that the Universe had chosen him to be the strongest, not him!

As his body gradually began to evolve and change, his mind began to drift back to simpler times.

* * *

Flashback…

As the second son of Nodoka, he had been unaware of the fact that he had a half-brother. His mother had never told him of Ranma's existence, though it was most likely because she wanted to forget the pain of losing her first child.

Oh yes, she doted on Kenji during the years that he was growing up. But somehow, at times it felt to him that she was treating him as if he was someone else. Every now and then, she would call him Ran-something, then would quickly correct herself. At other times, she would feed him things that she claimed were his favorite foods, though he would remind her that they were not. And she would always seem to get agitated whenever he finger-painted as a boy. The sight of his hands dyed in paint or ink always made her shiver. Then, when he had been thirteen years old, he found out why.

He had just come home from school one day, and his parents had been away at the time. He had decided to make himself a snack in the kitchen, but had accidentally cut himself with a knife. His parents kept the first-aid kit in a storage closet. However, after he had tended to his cut and was about to put the kit away, he had noticed that the closet had a hidden compartment. What he pulled out of there had made his blood run cold.

He had found a box with an aging piece of parchment inside it. The document was yellowed and was not far off from crumbling. The ink that was written on it was faded and barely legible. And judging from the amount of dust that had collected on the box's surface, he guessed that it had not been touched in a very long time. Then he noticed the palm print and began to read the document…

* * *

That night, Kenji confronted his mother and was finally told the truth about his half-brother, and the events that led to his apparent demise. Things got very intense when he had learned about the Seppuku Pledge, and how Nodoka had just let her idiot first husband take her only child away. More harsh words were exchanged as Kenji began accusing her of treating him as some kind of replacement for Ranma. He even went so far of accusing her of planning to do a Seppuku Pledge with him as well. Nodoka emphatically denied the very notion of such a thing. However, the rift had already formed and would remain for centuries to come.

Since that time, Kenji remained distant from his mother, convinced that he was nothing more than a second-rate substitute for Ranma, though Nodoka kept trying to convince him that she loved him no less than she did with her first-born. Then on his sixteenth year, the terrorist attack occurred, killing his father and infecting both him and his mother with a deadly virus. The only that could be done was to place them into cryogenic stasis until a cure could be found. His mother tried one final time to reconcile with her offspring before he was frozen, but he would not even hear her out.

He would carry his resentment into the future, as mankind traveled to the stars.

* * *

More than half a millennium later…

As Kenji slumbered within the cryo-pod, the outside world became a much darker place. While his mother was awakened a century earlier to begin her journey to Mejele, her second son continued with his sub-zero hibernation. However, with a steadily degrading cryo-pod that was damaged over time, his body began to suffer cellular deterioration. Also, his mind became even more unstable as his resentment over his mother and his supposed long-dead half-brother began to grow. When the pod was finally opened by the inhabitants of Earth, his psyche, along with his body, were so badly damaged, that the Harvesters decided that he wasn't worth to be used for spare parts. And so, he lived among them, eventually becoming one of the many wretches who fought among each other for new organs.

Ironically, at the same time he was awakened, Slade had emerged from the Tekkapod at the remnants of Jusenkyo.

As time passed, Kenji was just barely holding on to the land of the living, when he was chosen by the Harvesters to become their weapon against the Nirvana's Tekkaman. However, unbeknownst to the Earth Council, when he underwent the Tekkaman Power Process, he learned of the secret of the Earth's Paksis Crystal. The hatred that he had built up over the centuries had given him the willpower to survive the transformation, when normally a Harvester would have perished. As he became Tekkaman Saber, his already unbalanced mind became even more erratic. Later on, he learned of the fact that both his mother and half-brother were still alive. This new information made his rage even more volatile, especially with every encounter and every loss. The contempt that he received from his former Harvester masters, and later Darkon did nothing but increase his loathing over his lot in life, and he began to irrationally blame Slade for all of his troubles. It was his half-brother that his mother had loved. It was he who always defeated him. It was he that was considered the most powerful! Slade, Slade, always it was Slade!

Well, he wasn't going to be the best for much longer! Even if it killed Saber, (and the evolution to penultimate form eventually would), he was going to defeat him and prove to all who was the best! And he would also finally have it out with his 'mother' as well…

* * *

End of flashback…

At that moment, the pod he was in began to split open as he felt the effects of the evolutionary process began to take hold…

Things were about to come to a head.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Two days later, the crew of the Nirvana began heading back toward their vessel in the main spaceport of Heaven's Haven. Though they had enjoyed their brief period of recreation time, (many of which wanted it to be longer), they all understood that time was of the essence. Since their ship was the only one of the pirate crews that had men and women working together, it was logical to send out the Nirvana to the all-male planet to act as ambassador and mediate an alliance between the two genders.

It was then that they received an astounding message. Buzom, using her secret transmitter codes, picked up a broadcast from the Central High Command of Tarak. Lady Grand Ma's fleet of refugees had arrived in Tarak space, under a flag of truce. Amazingly, they had not been attacked as Grand Pa had personally ordered his military to stand down, though it would have been easy to destroy the group of lightly-armed vessels and end the Gender War. It seemed that one miracle after another occurred as the females were permitted to land on the planet, but under close guard, with strict orders not to leave their vessels until further notice. One could only imagine the uproar that had caused.

Then another surprise occurred. Buzom received a top-priority message from Grand Pa himself, on all open channels!

* * *

Flashback…

Before the astonished eyes of all those watching, especially those on the bridge of the Nirvana, the elderly leader of Tarak appeared before them on every view screen on the ship. Silence blanketed every deck as no one spoke a word. Many were wondering just how the supreme leader of the planet of men had gotten their coded frequencies to transmit on all channels.

Then everyone focused on the bridge as Grand Pa spoke.

"It's been a while, Special Agent Buzom Callista. You are looking well, even as a woman."

There was a collective series of gasps throughout the Nirvana as they heard these words. There was no way of denying her or rather his identity as a man and this sent shockwaves throughout Magno's crew. However, the pirate captain nodded as she understood the meaning of Grand Pa blowing his operative's cover. Apparently, the old man of Tarak had seen the light and was now laying all his cards on the table. He had just read the full report that BC had transmitted to him, and decided that the men needed the women, just as much as they needed the men.

* * *

End of Flashback…

After the crew had settled down and explanations were made, Buzom had fully expected the female pirates to turn on him. However, to his surprise, everyone unanimously agreed to let him stay on as First Mate. Apparently, after all the years they spent together, along with working with Slade and the other men, had opened their minds. For certain people like Bart, he was bit conflicted. He had been raised to like men, though he had grown fond of women, especially with BC. Now finding out that he was both was going to take some time to get used to, but… oh well.

At that time, BC was elected to represent the Nirvana, along with Slade, Bart and Duero when they would arrive on Tarak.

* * *

Slade sighed as he leaned against a rail and looked out of one of the portholes in the Bio-Park. His thoughts wandered as he considered what was going to happen in the next day or so.

With the Radam's main fleet fast approaching the system, all of humanity needed to work together to survive. Messages were sent out via tachyon beams to all the worlds Magno's crew had encountered , in the hope that they would join in the fight. If the Radam were to conquer the Tarak system, then they would have a springboard toward the rest of the galaxy, since Bart, Duero and Buzom's home planet was located near a cosmic nexus. Ironically, it was that same jump-off point that the Nirvana was inadvertently thrown into deep, uncharted space over a year ago. Should Darkon's forces capture that sector in space, then no world that had been colonized by Earth's descendants would be safe.

The plan was to have the Nirvana go on ahead, with Haven's Haven following some distance behind. Once Magno's ship arrived at the designated coordinates some distance outside Tarak's planetary orbit, the remaining pirate ships would congregate near Heaven's Haven, alongside any other ships that answered the call to arms. Slade was pretty certain that the people of Melanos would come, as well as the planet of telepaths, since he just got a response from Tekkaman Phantom. Even Anpathos responded, which was somewhat of a shock, considering how spineless they were under the yoke of the Harvesters. It seemed that living without 'the Munya' and keeping their backbones, had given the people something they never had… freedom to choose.

Slade and the others could only hope that it would be enough.

It was then that a certain former Dread Leader approached him.

"Slade?"

The Tekkaman in question looked over his shoulder and saw Meia approaching him. He nodded to her and looked back out the porthole. The aqua-haired girl stood beside him and joined him in gazing out into space.

"We'll be arriving at Tarak space by early tomorrow." Meia said quietly. "I never thought I'd see the day that we would be able to enter that sector without being fired on, much less being invited by Grand Pa himself."

"A lot has happened in the past year." Slade pointed out.

"Yes, a lot has happened." Meia agreed, then a thought came to her. "So once this is all over, what will you do?"

The simple question caught the Tekkaman off guard. It was so unlike Meia to ask such a personal question. Then again, in the year that he had fought with the Nirvana crew, the formally serious and aloof girl had begun to open herself up and shown a more human side. He considered her question for a long while, then replied with a shrug. "I'm not really sure. The only thing I've been focusing on is beating the Radam. I never gave much thought of what to do after that. Before I met you and the Nirvana, I had just been drifting from one planet to the next. I didn't have any place to call home or any family." He then saw Magno's image in his mind, then banished those thoughts. He then changed the subject. "What about you?"

Meia nodded as she answered. "I received a message from the Mejele refugees that are now on Tarak. My ohma is among the ones that managed to escape the Radam invasion. I thought I'd see her afterwards and maybe patch things up between us. The last time I saw her was a few years ago, just after I became a pirate. We kind of parted on some… really bad terms and I was hoping that we could… you know? She's the only family I have left, since my fahma… I mean, my mother died."

Slade felt a bit of regret with his own situation. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have asked if it was so painful for you."

"It's all right. Say, would you… I mean, would you like to come with me when I do see my ohma? I'm pretty sure that she'd like to meet you."

"Well… sure, if you think she wouldn't mind. She wouldn't be offended since I'm a man?"

"Don't worry about that. My ohma was never one who believed all that Mejele propaganda, and I think that you and her would get along fine."

"All right then."

* * *

The next day…

The Nirvana slowly made its way though the complex and highly dangerous Defense Grid of the Tarak System. Each obstacle had to be carefully navigated as the pirate vessel was guided toward the place where the leaders of the all-male planet, the refugees of Mejele and the representatives of the other human colonies, would congregate. Magno's crew got a look first-hand of how hazardous things would have been, had they attacked Tarak directly, rather than raiding their distant supply lines. The first barrier was a huge asteroid belt, which was littered with millions of anti-ship mines and remote guns which would fire on any vessel that did not have the proper access codes.

It was a fortunate thing that Buzom was able to provide those codes. When Slade was asked how he got through to Tarak, he replied that the mines and guns only responded to objects that were the size of spacecraft. They ignored things that were human-sized or smaller, since they weren't considered a threat. So naturally, a Tekkaman by himself wouldn't have any trouble bypassing the first barrier. Not that the mines and guns would have penetrated his armor in any case.

This information alarmed Buzom somewhat. She made a note to request to Grand Pa, to have the first line of defense upgraded to detect smaller objects, and have greater firepower installed. Since the enemy also had Tekkamen, this would be a serious flaw that they could exploit. The improvements might not be able to stop those space warriors, but they would be able to delay them so that the defenders would have more time to prepare.

The second barrier, which was just as daunting, if not more so, was a system of armed space stations, called Sentinels. Each outpost possessed enough firepower to obliterate capital ships and were supplemented by several dozen squadrons of Vanguards. Unlike the prototypes and cadets that Magno's crew faced a year ago, these units were better trained. They piloted faster, upgraded versions of the mecha, which in a fantastic coincidence, had similar technology that Parfet had developed for the Warrior Squadron, (with the exception of the Tekkasuits). Meia looked at several passing Vanguards and noted how skillfully they were piloted, as well as the extra armaments. She nodded and realized that if she had led her Dreads against these opponents, her side would have suffered very heavy casualties.

After that disastrous raid on the Ikazuchi, the Tarak Military had gone back to the drawing board and corrected many of the flaws in the original models, as well as train new recruits. Each machine was better armored, possessed far more firepower, and had greater range and maneuverability. It was with little doubt that this was the reason why they had been able to hold out against the Radam Spider-Crabs thus far.

The third barrier was of course, the Tarak Fleet itself, which consisted of several thousand capital ships and hundreds of thousands of Vanguard fighters and support ships. These vessels were on constant patrol and so far had been able to stop any Spider-Crabs from reaching Tarak, if any managed to get through the first two barriers. Unlike the streamlined, smooth craft of Mejele, these vessels were bulky and rough-looking. However, what they lacked in aesthetics, they made up for in brute force. They were slower than their female counterparts, and did not have the same level of advanced technology the women enjoyed, but they were better armored, were actually more energy-efficient, and each vessel carried enough firepower to reduce a small country to ashes. They were manned by far more experienced crews than the Ikazuchi had when Magno led her raid against it.

At present, the Radam forces had been testing Tarak's defenses with minor to moderate skirmishes. The men had been able to beat back the invaders, but even Grand Pa knew that it was only a matter of time before an all-out assault would occur. With that in mind, and the fact that the surviving population of Mejele were now refugees, the supreme leader was hoping that the upcoming meeting between the leaders of all the human worlds, plus the information provided by the Nirvana, would be enough to save their races from enslavement or extinction.

* * *

The Nirvana slowly docked with the huge Command Satellite that was in distant orbit around Tarak. The base was the size of Heaven's Haven, and circled the planet like an artificial moon. As for the mobile pirate base, it set itself up in a synchronous orbital path with the satellite and dropped its cloaking field. As the representatives of the female pirates were led to where the delegation would take place, more and more vessels converged toward that sector of space. Ships from Melanos, Anpathos, the Telepath World, and others, each responding to the call that had been sent out of the warning of the imminent Radam Invasion. Soon, hundreds of ambassadors from other worlds were coming aboard the Tarak Station.

As they were being led down a corridor, the group from the Nirvana were in awe at the sheer size of the base. The women especially, since they had never been inside this place, nor had Mejele Intelligence. This was not the bright and cheerful environment of Heaven's Haven. The atmosphere was darker and harsher, as everything on the station had a kind of straight-forwardness to it. Like the vessels of the Tarak Fleet, the technology on the Command Satellite was focused on pure function, with no frills. Everything either had a purpose, or was simply raw material to be used. There was no squandering of resources, and outward appearances meant very little, as long as the devices worked. Living quarters were simple, utilitarian chambers, with only the essentials provided. And each person working on the station went about his duties like clockwork. Even Gascogne had to admire the men for their efficiency.

It was then that the group entered a large room, where dozens of computer consoles were manned by crews. At the head of the operations, a wizened old man sat in a large, simply decorated chair. He looked up with hundred-year-old-plus eyes and nodded to Buzom, who was at the head of the group.

Magno, Slade, and all the others, were now in the presence of Grand Pa.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the station, a lone figure smiled as he skulked about the shadows of the lesser used areas. It had been child's play for him to sneak past the Tarak Defense Grid in his Tekkaman form, and once he came aboard the Command Satellite in his human form, he infiltrated the crews. Though he was on a covert mission for Darkon to get information on the world of Tarak and its defenses, Saber had alternate agenda in mind. He had learned that his half-brother was aboard… along with his mother. Now, it was time for Kenji to have his long-overdue revenge…

* * *

Some time later…

In the Conference Hall of the Command Satellite, Magno shook her head as she and her group had come up against a stubborn audience, primarily the Tarak military leaders. Though they had been commanded by Grand Pa to pay heed to their words, the upper brass was hard to convince, especially since the information was being related by women!

The huge, circular chamber was structured like a football stadium, with representatives from every colonized world in the quadrant. The leaders of each group could communicate with each other via holographic projectors. In the center, the Nirvana crew were displaying countless images which depicted the horrors and cruelty of the Radam. However, many officers in the upper levels of Tarak society remained unconvinced and maintained that they could defeat the menace without the help of the females. After all, they weren't the ones who abandoned their own planet.

"I tell you that we cannot defeat the Radam on our own!" Magno maintained. "What you have seen so far is nothing! The Spider-Crabs are merely testing your defenses! You have no idea just how _VAST_ the Radam forces are!"

"So you say!" The Prime Minister snorted in disdain. "But so far, we have been able to keep those Spider-Crabs at bay! Unlike you women, we men do not cower in fear and abandon our own home world, just because of a few mindless monsters!"

"You would not be so high and mighty!" A high-ranking Mejele commander said in retaliation. "Just like a man to talk so boldly, when he not up against a foe that knows no mercy!"

"Commander!" Grand Ma addressed her in a very stern tone.

However, the female would not be silent. "I apologize, Lady Grand Ma. But I cannot stand idly by while someone besmirches the memory of my fallen comrades! I lost many good crews when we fought the Radam! We all have lost much! And now we must humiliate ourselves by allying ourselves with these… _MEN?!_"

"Hah! Just like a woman to…"

"_BE SILENT!_"

The argument was instantly silenced with the aged, yet booming voice of Grand Pa. All eyes turned toward the supreme leader of Tarak. The hundred-plus man let off a tired sigh then spoke. "We are not here to continue old hatreds! I allowed the people of Mejele to land on our world not out of contempt, but because they are _HUMAN_. No one deserves what had happened to them. And… after weighing all the evidence, I have come to the conclusion that despite our own formidable forces, we alone cannot defeat this enemy that threatens the very existence of the human race." He let off another sigh. "Make no mistake, Prime Minister. I am proud of what we men of Tarak have accomplished in the past 100 years, but if we are to continue, then we must look at the bigger picture. I have read the reports given to me by our operative BC, as well as the information from Captain Vivian Magno. I deem them to be genuine. Furthermore, the Nirvana's crew have dealt with the Radam and their predecessors, the Harvesters on numerous occasions and triumphed. It was only possible through the cooperation between men and women. Therefore, it is only logical that Tarak join forces with Mejele, if any of us are to have a future." He sighed yet again. "Ever since that time of the Great Separation, I always knew in my heart, that this day would come, in which men and women must reunite. It seems… we have come full circle."

There was a thunderous round of applause from the other representatives, while the Tarak officials were in a state of stunned silence after hearing what Grand Pa had said. Then, after a full minute of cheering, the old man raised a hand for attention and the room went silent again. He once again addressed the pirate captain.

"You mentioned that the Radam possess even greater weapons than the Spider-Crabs. You called them… Tekkamen?"

Magno nodded as she gestured for Jura, Meia, Dita, Duero, and Slade to step forward. They were joined by Ghaleon Viperson. Each person made their crystals appear and held them aloft. Then they all cried out simultaneously…

"_TEKSETTER!_"

* * *

Much later…

Slade grimaced as he sat in the station's cafeteria. He looked down at his plate of nutrition pills, then pushed it away. He had forgotten just how bad those pills tasted and wondered why he even ordered them. The label had said cherry flavor, but it was more like they used cherry pits. As he thought about it, cherry pits would taste better than the pills. It was then that he was approached by two officers of the Tarak military. Judging by the medals and decorations, he guessed that they were high-rank. And from the way they were looking at him, he could tell that they wanted something from him.

The first one was a tall, thin individual with sandy brown hair and a kind of foppish look about him. His compatriot was shorter and chunky, with a greasy expression and short, black hair. Slade could tell that they weren't real fighters and probably achieved their status through connections, rather than earning it. They probably never seen real combat and made their subordinates do all the work, rather than get their own hands dirty.

"You are… Tekkaman Slade?" The tall man asked.

"Who wants to know?" Slade replied with suspicion.

"I am Commander Sahan Badir of the Cruiser Warrior's Pride." He gestured to his companion. "This is my First Mate Lowcor Vonn. May we sit with you?"

Lowcor nodded and greeted him. "Hello."

"Why?" The Tekkaman indicated with a hand at the other tables. "There are plenty of other places you can sit down."

"We wish to speak with you." The starship captain insisted as he and his subordinate immediately sat themselves down on chairs opposite to where Slade sat.

This lack of manners immediately got Slade's temper bubbling. They simply assumed that it was all right to just do as they please without his consent. "And exactly what do you want to talk to me about?"

Sahan smiled. "Ah, you're direct. I like that. Let's get straight to the point. My superiors were quite impressed at the display that you and those… women put on during the conference. And they were thinking, as I am, that such power would be a waste if it were used just for defeating the Radam."

Slade growled slightly. He knew that something like this might happen. After transforming into his Tekkaman form, he and the others had gone out into space and gave everyone a demonstration of their powers. And as expected, he had attracted the attention of those who would use his abilities for their own selfish ends. These two were the latest in a long line of officers who had tried to proposition him.

"No."

"I… beg your pardon?" The commander asked.

The space warrior growled slightly. "Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying. You were sent to '_DRAFT_' me into the service of the Tarak Armed Forces, right? After seeing what I can do, your superiors probably thought I'd be the perfect weapon against the women, am I right? I've already been approached by at least a _DOZEN_ of you guys, and they all said the _SAME_ thing! What did they promise you? A promotion? An upgrade to first class? More pill rations? Here! You can have mine!" He roughly pushed his plate toward the two officers.

"Well, why not join the mighty Tarak forces?" Sahan insisted. "You are a man, aren't you? Surely you hate the women as…"

Slade slammed a fist on the table, taking care not to use his full strength or he'd pound it through the floor and down to the next three or four levels. "Yes, I am a man, but no I don't hate the women 'cause I'm _NOT_ from Tarak! When are you military _MORONS_ going to realize that? Now get lost!"

"Perhaps if we were to come back later…?"

_**BOOM!**_

This time, Slade put more force into his fist and caused the table to collapse. The two officers took the hint and quickly left the cafeteria. The former Saotome sighed as he moved his chair to another table and sat down. A minute later, another person approached him. He was about to give the newcomer a piece of his mind, when he looked up and saw that it was the Nirvana's doctor. His mood lightened as he gestured for the healer to join him.

Duero nodded as he sat down, taking note of the ruins of the table Slade had sat previously. "Hello Slade. I see that you too have been visited by some of the Tarak military."

"Huh?" Slade responded in surprise.

"I saw that little display when I came in." The good doctor explained. "I too have been approached by several high-ranking individuals in both the military and the political factions. However, I don't have the option of openly refusing them as you have, since I am part of the Tarak Army and a citizen of the planet."

"Don't tell me that you said yes."

"I have not. I simply informed those people that I am a doctor first and foremost, and that my medical duties to my patients take priority over my combat potential. And I was able to ask Buzom to put in a word for me to Grand Pa. He has issued orders for those people to keep their distance, at least until the Radam threat has been dealt with."

"Yeah, well we should have expected that something like this might happen and…" Slade's voice trailed off as he suddenly sensed the presence of someone familiar. A slight flicker of light appeared on his forehead, causing him to look about. He caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar face as the person passed by the entrance of the cafeteria, then disappeared into the crowds.

"Slade? Is something wrong?" Duero inquired.

Slade shook his head to clear it, then replied. "No… nothing. I just thought I saw someone familiar. But it couldn't be him…"

* * *

Saber shook his head after passing by the stations large cafeteria. He had felt a bit of a familiar twinge, and wondered if his half-brother was nearby. Then he decided on the object of his mission. He had found out where Vivian Magno was going to be and his long-overdue revenge was going to be fulfilled. And should he meet up with Slade, then it would be a bonus to kill him as well.

* * *

Slade sighed as he decided to take a stroll down toward one of the observation decks. As he approached a large view-port window, he was spotted by a certain blonde Tekkaman.

"Yoo-hoo! Slade!"

He acknowledged Jura with a simple nod as she pranced toward him. Before he could object, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. This caused several Tarak observers to gasp and moan as they saw the impossible… a man being _KISSED_ by a woman! It was hard enough to tolerate the presence of women aboard their station, even though they didn't look like the monsters that appeared on the propaganda films. They were expecting Slade to be reduced to a withered husk, since females were known to suck out a man's innards, right? That yellow-haired one was probably inhaling Slade's vital organs right now and this was how she did it; through the mouth! Oh, the horror!

When Slade did not expire when he gently pushed her away, there was a stunned silence. Just what was going on?!

The cosmic warrior's cheeks reddened a bit at the looks everyone was giving them, and pulled Jura off to a more secluded area of the observation decks. When he was certain that they were both out of earshot, he turned to face her.

"Jura, I think you'd better not do stuff like that, especially in front of the Tarak men."

"Why?" She asked playfully as she began casually drawing circles on his chest with her right index finger. "If men and women are going to have to live with each other, then we should show them just _HOW WELL_ they can be together!"

Slade sighed. "Look, it's hard enough for them right now to get used to the idea that they'll be sharing their planet with women. I don't want to aggravate the situation any more than it already is. It's too soon for them to try and settle their differences. For now, not having them fight is good enough. I have my own headaches to deal with, especially with those Tarak military idiots who are trying to recruit me."

Jura gave him a disappointed pout, then nodded in understanding. "Join the club."

"Hmm?"

"I've had some visits from some of the Mejele commanders. They've offered me a full pardon for my years as a pirate, and reinstatement as a citizen of Mejele." She gave her shoulders a shrug. "But that's a moot point, since Mejele is now a breeding ground for the Radam. I wouldn't be surprised if Meia and Dite were given similar offers."

Slade nodded in agreement. "Say, why don't you use this chance to visit with the refugees? I remember you telling me one time that you hadn't returned to Mejele since you joined up with the pirates. Isn't there anyone from your homeworld that you want to see? Meia said that she was going to visit with her ohma."

Jura took on an introspective expression as she thought about it, then nodded. "That might be a good idea. I just received a message from my fahma. She was part of the first wave of evacuees. I was planning to visit her later on."

"Why don't you visit her now? We've got some time."

"I will." She quickly gave Slade a peck on the cheek, then hurried away. Just before she was out of sight, she called back to him. "When this is all over, you have _GOT_ to meet my mother, all right?"

Slade could only wave back while smiling. When she was gone, he let off a sigh of relief and turned about to go for another stroll. However, he had only gone a few steps when he suddenly came face to face with a bubbly Dita.

"Mr. Alien… er, I mean, Slade. Sorry, old habit."

"Uh… hi, Dita. So what are you so excited about?"

Dita showed off something that she was carrying in her arms. It looked to be a hand-sewn dress that was simply, yet very well-made. It was made from very soft, blue-colored silk, and seemed to have been created by a expert seamstress.

"Isn't it pretty?" Dita asked. "My ohma and my fahma gave it to me! I just saw them an hour ago and they were really happy to see me again! I told them all about our adventures and especially you, Slade!"

"Oh. That's great."

"And I promised that when we beat those bad aliens, that I'll introduce you to them!"

"Uh… yeah, I'm looking forward to meeting them." Slade gave a half-hearted laugh as he thought, _Does every girl that I know want me to meet their parents?_

* * *

In another part of the station, two Amazons were having a quiet discussion. Xian Pu had come across her only living relative, her grandmother Khu Lon. She was a wizened old lady of eighty-nine and wore the traditional robes of a Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku. She was approximately five-foot-two and walked about with a gnarled wooden cane. She had long, grey hair that was done up in a simple ponytail. She was the current leader of the Mejele Amazons that were the direct descendants of the original tribe of Earth.

**"So young warrior. Tell me more about this… Tekkaman Slade."**

Xian nodded. **"He is a great warrior. He has proven himself time and time again in battle, not only as a fighter, but as a valued… friend."**

The aged female gazed upon her with interest. **"It seems that this Slade is someone that you greatly respect."**

**"He is the one man who deserves my utmost respect and admiration. He is also commander of the Nirvana's Vanguard group, the Warrior Squadron. I am his second-in-command."**

**"You take orders from a man?"**

**"I follow them because he is our leader."** The red-haired girl blushed as she remembered something else. **"And… because I challenged him… and lost."**

This admission got Khu Lon's attention. **"You lost?"** She stressed.

Xian Pu nodded. **"In the beginning, I was very against taking orders from a man. So I challenged him to combat. The winner would lead the vanguards. And I am embarrassed to say that I utterly defeated by him. And so, I was honor-bound to follow him into battle. As time passed… I came to respect his battle prowess and…"** She blushed even redder as she recalled that time in the Nirvana's bath area.

Khu Lon nodded as she thought of something. **"I see. If that is the case, and if you were fairly defeated in battle by this man… then you must follow our Amazon Laws as it is written in the ancient texts."**

**"What do you mean?"**

The elderly individual produced a data module from the sleeves of her robes, which she activated. The top of the technological cube produced a holographic image of a book. Xian Pu immediately recognized it. She had a hard copy of it in her quarters on the Nirvana.

**"The Book of Amazon Tribal Law?"**

**"Yes. Unlike your version, which is incomplete, revised and faded, this one is finished and unedited. It is an encoded copy of one of the original manuscripts, just before the time of the Great Migration from Earth. Now then, please read this section."** She used the controls of the module to display a certain passage in the book.

Her granddaughter's eyes widened as she read the passage. When she finished, she looked upon her relative in a state of disbelief. There was a long pause, before she finally spoke. **_"Grandmother… are you serious?"_**

**"When it comes to our ancient laws, I am always serious. And now that Mejele and Tarak must reunite, then this law is also valid."**

Xian Pu stood in stunned silence as the words of the law she had read sunk in.

_In the event that an Amazon is defeated by an outsider, and if that outsider is a man, then she must…_

* * *

Meanwhile…

Ukyo the Seventeenth nodded as she got off the vid-communicator. She had just finished a long discussion with her ohma, Ukyo the Sixteenth and explained to her that the vendetta against Ranma Saotome, or rather Slade, was misdirected and irrational. She had thought that it was the least she could do, after what had happened on the Nirvana when she learned that Slade was actually the same Ranma from half a millennium ago. After giving the details of what had happened five-and-a-half centuries earlier, Ukyo's ohma finally agreed that the blood feud against Ranma was pointless, since he was just as much a victim as the original Kuonji was. However, there was still the matter of the stolen dowry.

The Nirvana okonomiyaki chef couldn't believe that her ohma thought that a missing cart was so important. It was nothing more than a wooden box on wheels. However, the older Ukyo still insisted that honor must be satisfied, and there was only one way. When she suggested it, her daughter became absolutely dumfounded.

Now how was she going to explain this to Slade?

* * *

Later…

Slade let off yet another sigh as he strolled about the station. It was going to be several hours before all the representatives would finish in their deliberations, and he really didn't have anything else to do until then. Most of the Nirvana crew members were visiting their relatives and friends among the Mejele refugees, and this got him thinking.

In the entire universe, only Magno could be considered as his family, but the years of being separated from her had made him bitter. She was his mother, biologically speaking, but emotionally she was a stranger to him. Why would he even try to bridge the gap that spanned so much time and billions of light-years?

Then again, just about everyone in Magno's crew had barely seen their loved ones until now, and each girl was trying to make up for lost time. The same went for Bart and Duero. This may be their only chance, for once the Radam got serious and attacked, many of them would not return. And once Slade left the Nirvana, he would be all alone again. Is that what he really wanted? Would it be so bad to get to know her? Perhaps, in time they could actually come to some common ground. They both agreed that Genma had been a total moron. They were both strong-willed and didn't care for any kind of nonsense.

_Maybe… just… maybe…_

_**KA-BOOM!**_

The explosion rocked the entire station as Slade felt a familiar presence nearby. A large bulkhead was blown to pieces, causing crew members to scatter and safety shutters to close to prevent any potential decompression. The former Saotome immediately ran toward the source of the disturbance, which happened to be where the guest quarters were. As he rounded a corner, he came across a ruined chamber that was smoking from being blown from the inside. Furniture and masses of twisted metal were strewn about, as well as pieces of unidentified debris. Then he saw a scene that made his blood run cold.

The tall figure he recognized in an instant. It had been some time since he last saw him, but there was no mistaking that cruel expression and the bloodlust in his eyes. Though Saber was in his human form, in his hands was a huge Tekkalance. He toward over an injured Magno, who was kneeling on the floor and clutching at her left arm, which was bleeding profusely from a large gash near her shoulder. Her eyes were streaming tears, as she looked up at her would-be executioner.

As he slowly raised his weapon to deliver the final blow, Slade sprang toward them. Seeing his mother in mortal danger caused something within him to snap. It had been an emotional barrier that he had put up when he had learned that his mother was still alive. Though he had repeatedly denied it, deep down, he knew that he still had feelings toward her. And after a lot of soul-searching, he had finally decided that he needed to set things right with her. Now, this maniac was going to take it all away before he had a chance!

"_NO!_"

A bright flash of light appeared in both of Slade's hands as he suddenly called upon a power that he never knew he had. The flashes lengthened and became solid as Saber's weapon came down.

_**CLANG!**_

To the surprise of all those present, both halves of Slade's Tekkalance appeared, and locked with Saber's, stopping the weapon's descent. Slade was now between him and Magno. As both Tekkamen began to exert more force on each other, their eyes locked together with intense glares. Behind Slade, Magno gasped as she watched the two about to engage in a battle, in which only one would walk away.

Slade gritted his teeth as he continued to press against his foe. Then, he said in a hard voice. "Don't… you… _DARE_… hurt… my…. _MOTHER_!"

These words enraged Saber as he retorted with venom in his voice. "Don't you mean… _OUR MOTHER?_"

To be continued…

Author's Notes

Well, here's yet another cliff-hanger, but with this story nearing its end, I had to end this part somewhere. In the next part of chapter 11, we're going to have Slade Vs Saber again, but this time, it's REALLY personal. More revelations will be made as Tarak and Mejele must overcome the century of hatred and learn that they are not so different after all. All this and more in Chapter 11 part 3, entitled "Slade and Saber, Sibling Rivals."


	27. Chapter 11, Part 3: Sibling Rivalry, Sla

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

**_Disclaimer:_** Must I always tell the readers that Ranma ½, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread don't belong to me, and I am only writing a fan fiction about them? Oh, I already did.

: Thoughts

**Chapter 11**

**Part 3**

**Sibling Rivalry, Slade and Saber!**

The Command Satellite floated peacefully in orbit around the planet Tarak. Then suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the man-made structure to its core. A massive decompression made the station shudder and momentarily caused it drift out of its orbital path, before emergency retro-thrusters righted it and bulkheads were sealed. However, with two of the most powerful fighters in the galaxy battling it out inside it, the satellite was in danger of falling out of its precarious position and burning up in the atmosphere.

* * *

Slade growled as he pushed back against Saber's Tekkalance. Behind him, Magno watched in horror as her only children were locked in mortal combat. She could not believe that Kenji was actually the murderous Tekkaman that had been determined to destroy the Nirvana for the past year. When she had first beheld him a few minutes ago, she had be so overjoyed to be reunited with her other lost son…

* * *

Flashback…

Magno sighed heavily as she walked into the guest quarters that she had been given for the duration of the Conference. It had been a long and tiring meeting as she had acted as a mediator between the representatives of Tarak and Mejele. The old hatreds had been hard to silence and it had almost come to violence had Slade not fired off a warning flash of ki to get everyone's attention. After seeing what he could do as a Tekkaman, one did not want to get on his bad side.

After a very intense debate, it had been decided that all human worlds would join in the fight against the invading Radam. Nearly ninety-nine percent of all the industries on Tarak and to a lesser degree the other planets, would have to be converted toward supply and weapons production. All the weapons the Nirvana had developed against the Radam, primarily the Warrior Squadron's Tekkasuits, would serve as the blueprints. Furthermore, Vanguard production would have to be _QUINTUPLED_ in order to supply each world with at least one battalion, to combat the almost endless numbers of Spider-Crabs.

The Tarak men had few complaints since they were used to such. They were the ones to go to for efficient mass-production, though such a large-scale war effort was unheard of by the standards of the other planets. However, when the driving force was survival, they were motivated enough. In a way, the Tarak men's simplistic lifestyle and eating of food pills worked to their advantage in this case, since no resources would be wasted.

When it came to the matter of the Mejele refugees, it was decided, (though very reluctantly by the representatives of the all-female world), that the surviving populace would be given living quarters and a temporary truce was established. They were to be given ONLY the essentials to survive, and any special requests would have to be taken up with the Tarak Council. This truce was to last only until the Radam Menace was dealt with. They would sort things out afterwards.

This did not give the women much, but considering the alternative, they couldn't make any complaints… _YET_. Magno could only imagine the inevitable conflicts that would occur when the Mejele women would be forced into the Tarak lifestyle. According to what Duero and Bart told her, living on Tarak was harsh and didn't allow much for luxury. And for people who were used to enjoying the benefits of technology, as well as being less efficient with resources, this was going to be a shock to many. They were going to have to learn to do without, as well as save whatever they had. And most of all, they are going to have to live off those food pills! A lot of women are going to starve if they did not swallow their pride.

The elderly woman had considered revealing the data that Duero had given to her and BC, about the fatal genetic flaws of Tarak and Mejele's current reproductive methods. However, given the current circumstances, she decided not to inform the leaders just yet. Everyone had to be focused on defeating the Radam and the information would be useless if they were all enslaved or destroyed. When the enemy was defeated, then perhaps the data would convince the two sides to reconcile.

It was then that she noticed that someone else was in her quarters. He was a tall individual and had long green hair and a pale complexion. At first, Magno did not recognize the stranger, but then as he stepped out from the shadows and said in a tone that dripped with scorn…

"Hello… _MOTHER!_"

There was a long stretch of silence as the two gazed upon each other. For Saber, he simply could not believe that this ancient crone was actually the woman who had given birth to him centuries ago. She resembled nothing like the person he remembered so long ago, but then again, considering how much he wanted to erase those images from his mind, he didn't really care how she appeared presently. According to the records he had read, Nodoka had underwent surgical and genetic alterations to her body in order to start over from her previous life. Well that suited the Red Tekkaman just fine. He wanted nothing left to link him with his pitiful childhood. And as soon as Vivian Magno was gone, there would be nothing left!

It was Ranma, always Ranma that she thought about! It was always his older half-sibling that she cared about! To her, Kenji was simply a substitute and those long years in that malfunctioning cryo-pod had warped his mind to extreme homicidal tendencies toward his family. And now, he was going to erase one of the two banes to his present existence!

For Magno, it was if she had gone back in time. There he was… her other son! The one that she had thought had been lost forever! He looked harder than she remembered but there was no mistaking his eye color and facial resemblance he had with her second husband. Of course, he was older than when she last saw him, and she was inwardly pleased that he had grown into a very fine figure of a man.

Then she noticed the expression on his face and started to feel the hostility emanating from him.

"Is… is… is it really you… Kenji?"

There was another long period of silence as Saber glared at his mother. Then finally he growled his response.

"Yes."

Joy overwhelmed her as she who was formally Nodoka, started toward her second offspring. "Kenji! I'm so…!"

_**WHAP! **_

The pirate captain staggered backward from the blow and looked up in shock. Saber stood with an even harder expression on his face. His right hand was raised with the palm open. It was very fortunate for her that he had used an open slap and with very little strength. Otherwise, his strike would have taken off her head.

Magno trembled as she looked at the one she had once called her son. Her eyes started welling up with moisture. A bruise started to form on her left cheek. "My son… why?"

"Don't _EVER_ call me that!" He snarled as he lowered his hand.

"But… you just said…" She began in confusion.

Saber growled again, silencing her instantly. He then gave her a slight nod. "I WAS Kenji… but I was NEVER your son! The one who was once Kenji died long ago, when you abandoned me in that stinking cryo-pod!"

"No! I didn't abandon you!" She protested. "I was told that your cryo-pod was lost and that you were dead!"

"_I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR LIES!!!_" Saber roared. "_I WAS NEVER YOUR SON IN THE FIRST PLACE! ALL YOU EVER CARED ABOUT WAS MY HALF-BROTHER! I WAS JUST A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOU!_"

"No! You were my son! I loved you as much as I ever loved Ranma…"

"_I TOLD YOU, I AM NOT YOUR SON! I… AM… SABER!_"

"S-S-Saber?!"

"Yes! And I am also… _YOUR EXECUTIONER… MOTHER!_"

Magno felt her heart stop. Her son… was _SABER_?! His words stung deep into her soul like a dagger as she felt her tears stream down her cheeks. First her son Ranma… Slade would not speak with her. And now her newly-found second son was the one who had constantly tried to destroy the Nirvana? She felt her entire world begin to fall apart as her other offspring started to advance toward her. He raised up he right fist and began focusing his inner Tekkaman energies. Then the entire room was enveloped in a huge explosion, causing debris to fly toward her.

Magno managed to move to the right and mostly avoided a huge chunk of metal that came at her. However, its sharp edge still ripped up her robe's left shoulder, cutting through the cloth and into her flesh. She let off a scream as she collapsed to her knees and clutched at her injury. Blood flowed down her wound as she looked up and saw her attacker now holding a huge, wicked-looking, double-bladed lance; a weapon that she was all too familiar with.

_H-He can bring out his Tekkalance without transforming?_

Saber then let off with a bloodcurdling roar as he raised his weapon high, then brought it down toward her head, intent on cleaving it in two. Magno shut her eyes and prepared for the end.

* * *

End of Flashback…

**_KTANG!_**

Magno opened her eyes at the sound of metal striking metal and found herself staring at the strong back of Slade as he held up the two halves of his own Tekka-Lance, blocking his half-brother's.

Then she heard the words she thought Slade would never say…

"Don't… you… _DARE_… hurt… _MY MOTHER!_"

Saber then retorted with scorn, "Don't you mean… _OUR MOTHER?!_"

Both combatants then let loose with powerful auras of energy and grappled with each other. Then they hurled themselves through a huge hole in the wall and she heard them simultaneously shout out…

"_TEKSETTER!_"

There was another series of explosions as the bulkheads of the station were shaken and alarms went off. As emergency personnel began running about to keep the station from falling out of orbit, Magno sat there in a state of shock as she continued to bleed profusely.

At that moment, BC came rushing into her ruined quarters and saw that her captain was severely injured. She immediately came to her, while pulling out her communicator to alert Duero. However, as she knelt down to assess the captain's wound, she saw that Magno was in the state of shock and didn't even notice her. The old woman just continued to stare out toward a large hole in the wall.

"Captain?" When the elderly pirate didn't reply, the former Tarak spy repeated herself. "Captain?"

Then, after a long while, Magno spoke. "Ranma… Kenji… my sons… _MY SONS!_"

"What?" Unlike Duero and Parfet, Magno's First Officer was unaware of her captain's connection with Slade and Saber.

Magno said nothing more as she continued to stare in shock.

* * *

Both Tekkamen burst out of the station and into deep space. The two combatants darted about the void like a pair of angry hornets. Then, the two faced off in orbit above Tarak, getting ready to fight to the death.

It seemed that this may be their final confrontation…

The two warriors gazed upon one another, their weapons held at the ready. Neither one spoke for a very long time, then Saber decided to tell his brother what he really thought of him.

"Just like always… _BROTHER!_ Mother always did like you best."

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Slade said in surprise. "The captain is not your mother and you sure as _HELL_ ain't my brother!"

Saber smirked behind his helmet. "Oh? So she didn't tell you? Oh, of course not! She just found out herself, didn't she?"

"What are you talking about, you psycho!?"

The Red Tekkaman chuckled as he replied. "If you already know that Vivian Magno was once Nodoka Saotome, and that she was once your mother, then you must know about her other son… Kenji Tensuke, right?"

"Yes…" Slade began suspiciously, then he began to get the underlying meaning to Saber's words. "You… don't mean that you're…"

Saber chuckled again, this time with more smugness. "So you finally caught on… eh, brother?"

"It can't be! The captain said that your cryo-pod was lost!" Slade exclaimed in denial. This madman was his half-brother?!

Saber then continued on in a deadly serious tone. "Oh, I was lost all right… but I didn't die… at least not immediately. I spent centuries suffering a slow, agonizing death as my body rotted away in that malfunctioning pod. When I was finally revived in this time period, I had been reduced to being one of the many wretches on Earth… as a Harvester."

"You were one of the Harvesters?"

"Yes. It was a daily struggle fighting the others for even half-decent organs to keep me going. We were always given body parts of the lowest quality, and frequently, they would only last for weeks or even days! There were times that I wanted to just end it all, rather than suffer continuously that living death. Then, I was presented with a chance to be reborn…"

"The Tekkaman Power Process…" Saber's half-brother guessed, in which Saber nodded.

"Yes. It was pure torture being put through the process in which I would get this power. A normal Harvester wouldn't have survived, but I did! Through my own will, my very hatred of what I had been reduced to and who was responsible for my condition; it allowed me to withstand the process."

"So you blamed our mother for your pain?"

"Yes. She left me to die on in that cryo-pod and I thought that I was truly free of her memory when I emerged from that Tekkapod. Kenji Tensuke was no more and Saber was born! But then, I later found out that _SHE_ was still alive!"

"So that's why you're here now? To kill our mother?!"

"Yes! But only _AFTER_ I make her suffer as I have! I'm going to tear her apart piece by _BLOODY_ piece! She's going to feel pain on a scale unimaginable! Then, when she is no longer able to _FEEL_ pain… when she is at the point of death… I'm going to _FEED_ her carcass to the Spider-Crabs!"

Slade growled as his grip on his Tekkalance tightened. His half-brother was insane. It seemed that the long centuries had twisted his mind to the point that he couldn't even be called human. The way he described how he was going to kill their mother had sickened him. Though Slade had just recently decided on reconciling with her, it was apparent that Saber was beyond all hope of saving.

Saber then held up his own weapon and said, "Though I loathe to admit, my business with our _MOTHER_ is only part of the reason why I am here. I was sent here to gather information about the defenses here, and to give a message to you… _BROTHER!_"

"A message?"

"My Lord Darkon would like to offer you a choice. You have caused the Radam quite a bit of trouble, but it would be a waste to destroy someone as powerful as you. Therefore, Darkon had sent me to offer you a chance to join us! This will be your only opportunity. So Slade… will you come with me… your brother? Or will you stay and be destroyed with Mommy Dearest?"

Slade let off a snarl as he replied. "_GO TO HELL!!_"

"_I'VE ALREADY BEEN THERE! NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!_" Saber then charged at his sibling with thrusters going at full.

Slade countered his brother's first strike as the two Tekkamen sped through the starry void.

* * *

Back on the station, Meia, Dita and Jura had started running toward the nearest airlock when they got word that Slade and Saber were engaged in combat. As they passed through a Vanguard Hanger, they saw dozens of Tarak pilots suit up as they were getting ready to launch in order to defend the base. However, the girls knew very well that the mecha were no match against a Tekkaman. The men would surely die if they went up against a homicidal maniac like Saber.

The three found an adjacent airlock and took out their crystals as the hatch closed behind them. Holding their crystals aloft they simultaneously cried out.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

In seconds, three comets of light raced out into space, as each girl went through her amazing metamorphosis. Their clothes were instantly stripped off, and their bodies became encased in nearly indestructible armor. Their already superhuman abilities were amplified to their highest levels as quantum energy weapons were drawn. Tekkamen Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire headed toward the spot where Slade and Saber were mixing it up.

"_SLADE!_" All three cried out simultaneously as they were about to engage in battle.

However, to their shock, both the White and Scarlet Tekkamen snarled at them and responded in sync…

"_STAY OUT OF THIS!!!_"

The three females stopped suddenly at these words. They had not at all expected Slade to snap at them. Then, they heard something even more shocking…

"Your girlfriends should stay out of what does _NOT_ concern them… Brother!" Saber growled. "This is between you… and _ME!_"

Slade growled as well as his grip on his lance tightened. Then he addressed the others without taking his eyes off his opponent. "Meia, Dita, Jura… don't interfere!"

The three girls became even more confused. With an enemy as deadly as Saber, shouldn't they all fight him together? And what did he just call Slade?

Slade then readied to charge at his adversary again. He gave the girls a final warning to back off. "Girls, this is something that has to be settled, once and for all between me… and my brother. This is _FAMILY BUSINESS!_"

"_WHAT?!_" The trio said at the same time.

It was then that space was lit up by laser bolts and cannon shells.

Saber growled as he looked off to one side and saw one of Tarak's battle cruisers bearing down on their position. It seemed that the men of the craft had decided to get involved.

Too bad for them.

* * *

Aboard the Warrior's Pride, Sahan Badir, the officer who had tried to sway Slade to the men's side, gave orders to open fire on the Tekkamen. It didn't matter that he was unsuccessful in recruiting the White Tekkaman. Once he had vanquished both him, the new intruder and those accursed female Tekkamen, then the High Council would surely recognize him and his ideals that Tarak didn't need the women of Mejele. If he couldn't have the power of the Tekkamen themselves, then Tarak science could always discover their secrets from their remains.

However, both he and his crew would pay for his dreams of grandeur.

Though his cruiser couldn't use its main guns, due to its proximity to the planet Tarak and the Command Satellite, his secondary guns and batteries were allowed to blast away. They concentrated on the sector where Slade and the other Tekkamen were. However, the murderous barrage had zero effect as Saber simply jetted out in front of them and took the brunt of the attack. His form was enveloped in a series of blinding explosions for a full minute. When the guns and missile launchers finally ceased, the Scarlet Tekkamen gave off a scornful laugh as he emerged from the conflagration completely unscathed.

On the bridge of the Warrior's Pride, Sahan and his crew were in a state of disbelief. How could ANYONE survive that? Their weapons had enough firepower to bring down Mejele spacecraft. Then their expressions of shock became that of horror as Saber suddenly shot forward with lance held at the ready. Their anti-fighter guns opened up again, but had no effect as Saber didn't even bother to evade.

"No!" Slade cried out as he tried to catch up to his brother before he could…

Too late.

Saber plowed through the front section of the cruiser and ripped though bulkheads like they were made of paper. The massive decompression caused havoc as debris and crewmembers were sucked out into the vacuum of space. However, the red space warrior wasn't finished by any means as he broke into the bridge through the floor and began slaughtering officers left and right. Sahan and his first mate were beheaded in less than a heartbeat, their faces locked in expressions of terror as one of Tarak's proudest warships was gutted from the inside. Then the insane Tekkaman delivered the final blow as he smashed his way into the engine room and breached the reactor core. Not even bothering to make his escape, he simply allowed himself to be engulfed in the resulting explosion. In under two seconds, more than a hundred lives were snuffed out.

In front of the horrified eyes of Slade and the girls, the Warrior's Pride was consumed in a large explosion. When the light died down, they saw nothing but debris and in the midst of it, was Saber, unharmed and ready to murder again.

At that moment, several squadrons of Vanguards came charging out of other cruisers in the sector, as well as the Command Satellite. They were all set to avenge their fallen comrades. However, they were about to learn that while the mecha were effective against Spider-Crabs, they were nothing but cannon fodder to a Tekkaman.

Slade desperately tried to get to Saber before he had a chance to decimate the Vanguard pilots. Dita, Meia and Jura also flew in to assist him, as well as keep the men from getting too close to their adversary. However, that was when things went from bad to worse.

A huge flash of light appeared from another sector as a tear in hyperspace opened up. From this, a large horde of Spider-Crabs came hurtling out. And at the front of the formation, was another armored figure, who was riding on the largest of the mutant monsters.

Tekkaman Dagger had arrived.

However, Saber was not happy to see his comrade.

"What are you doing here?!"

The green-colored Tekkaman shrugged as he replied. "Lord Darkon sent me to bring you back to headquarters. He says that it is time to begin preparations…"

"NO!" Saber shouted out as he gestured to his half-brother with his lance. "I WILL NOT LEAVE NOW! I'M GOING TO…!"

His words were cut off as cannon fire and laser beams started raining down on them. The Vanguards started to converge on their position, firing off a continuous rain of projectiles and energy blasts.

This had dire consequences as the Spider-Crabs and their Tekkamen masters to begin retaliating.

Shrugging off blasts like a dog shaking off rain from its fur coat, Dagger simply made his weapon appear, which was similar to Dita's Bow. Holding it out and taking almost casual aim, he made a single energy arrow appear as he cocked back his right hand, then released. The shaft of light streaked forward and the closest Vanguard pilot had no time to react as he and his mecha were vaporized in a blossoming sphere of destruction. Then Dagger began loosing arrows in rapid succession like a machine gun, with each hitting their target. In less than three seconds, two dozen brave men were sent screaming to their deaths as the Tekkaman nonchalantly executed them. Several squadrons were destroyed in quick order as Dagger continued to shoot them down with cold efficiency.

Slade let off a cry and charged at Dagger, but before he could reach him, he was blindsided by Saber. The two warriors grappled with each other as the carnage continued around them.

Though they wanted to help him, Dita, Meia and Jura had to stop Dagger first. With him taking out the Vanguards, there was nothing to stop the Spider-Crabs from heading toward the Command Satellite and the nearby cruisers. As they approached the merciless Tekkamen, they were met with stiff resistance by the Spider-Crabs that were protecting him. As several groups of the monsters came close toward the cruisers, they could only hope for a miracle.

They got it as a streak of white light burst from the Command Satellite. They immediately recognized the figure in the nimbus of brilliance.

Ghaleon Viperson, as Tekkaman Phantom, started to slash and rip through the ranks of the Spider-Crabs. The stealthiest of all the Tekkamen faded from view as he continued his assault on the Radam monsters in his invisible mode. This allowed the defensive fleet the time it needed to launch more Vanguards and begin firing off barrages of covering fire.

However, as the battle escalated, more brave crews of the Tarak Empire fell before the Radam onslaught. Two destroyers were ripped apart as Spider-Crabs invaded into their hulls. Several dozen Vanguard pilots were slaughtered, though some did manage to take a good portion of the mutated monsters with them, showing that they were not all helpless.

* * *

"Stop it!" Tekkaman Sapphire cried out as she launched a trio of energy arrows at the green-colored armored warrior. However, her attack was blocked as a Spider-Crab appeared in front of Dagger and shielded him. The beast blew up in an explosion of pus and gore, but in that spilt-second, Darkon's servant fired off another salvo of arrows.

Dita let off a scream as one arrow punched through her armored left shoulder. The rest of the deadly energy projectiles flew by and took out seven more Vanguards. One arrow in particular sped toward a nearby cruiser, named the Double-Edge. On the bridge, the commander of the vessel gave off the order to maximize the forward shields as he saw the arrow streaking toward them.

However, the command was given a heartbeat too late as the arrow crashed through the front view port and detonated within the bridge. Not a single member of bridge crew survived, and the resulting explosion had also disabled the vessel's ability to maneuver. A massive explosion on its port side caused the cruiser to drift dangerously closer to another. In the sub-command bridge just aft of the primary control sections, the head engineering officer called out to his subordinate as more explosions rocked the ship.

"Damage report!"

The other officer gulped as he read the data on his view screen. "Guidance system… out… auxiliary steering… out…"

"Divert! Divert!"

"The ship won't answer the helm! The Double-Edge is going to collide with the Battle Axe! What are we going to do?"

The head engineer raised his head up solemnly and said, "We die." (1)

The front of the Double-Edge slammed hard into the side of the Battle Axe and both ships were engulfed in a pair of explosions, scattering debris and hot gases in all directions. Some of the Spider-Crabs were taken out, but unfortunately, several more Vanguards were also obliterated along with them. The battle had only started ninety seconds ago, but already the casualty figures had quadrupled.

* * *

Saber let off a blood-curdling war cry as he sliced an interfering Vanguard in half. The pilot inside was also cut in twain before his mecha exploded. The Crimson Tekkamen then threw his lance out toward a trio of the Tarak machines, spinning about like a discus. The men had no chance to even scream as the weapon sliced through them, causing their Vanguards to self-destruct a moment later.

"DAMN YOU!" Slade cried out as he charged his half-brother, thinking that he was at a disadvantage without his lance.

However, Saber surprised him as two wicked blades suddenly popped out of his gauntlets. He easily parried his sibling's lance, then started slashing away. It was then that Saber's lance swung back to its master.

Slade was caught off-guard as the weapon glanced off his shoulder. That was all Saber needed to grab his weapon and kick out with a foot into Slade's solar plexus. Then, while his brother was off-balance, he slammed into him with thrusters going on full. Slade barely managed to block the point of Saber's lance with his own, but he couldn't stop their forward momentum in time. When he looked back and saw that they were heading toward another vessel, he started his own thrusters to slow them down.

"_STOP IT, SABER! YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY THEM!_"

"_LIKE I CARE!_" Saber retorted as he kept on going.

The pair impacted into the heavy cruiser/support carrier known as the Avenger's Sword, and unfortunately into the Vanguard hanger. At the time, the ship had been preparing to launch its Vanguards to deal with the Spider-Crabs, but when the Tekkamen came crashing through, the pilots and hanger crews scattered. Many were killed in mere moments as Saber let nothing and no one stand in the way of his revenge. Slade tried his best to keep him from slaughtering innocents, but in those close quarters, it was impossible to prevent the body count from piling up. Then Slade's blood ran cold as he saw Saber began to glow red. That could only mean…

"_NO! YOU CAN'T!_"

"_ANTI-VOLTEKKER!_"

The Avenger's Sword became the latest ship to fall under the might of the Radam as it was gutted from the inside and then exploded in a crimson fireball. However, as the ship died, another explosion appeared from within and elongated into a green beam.

"_VOLTEKKER!_"

Saber screamed as he was caught in the full force of Slade's attack and was driven back out into space. Slade followed him out with the intent to make him pay for the lives he had taken that day.

However, fate would have other plans.

Saber managed to recover from his brother's attack, though his armor was now shredded in several places. Slade wasn't much better as his armor was also badly damaged from the fight. The two faced streaked off into the distance, past the Sentinel Stations and toward the asteroid belt that formed Tarak's First Defensive Line. In past times, the ring of gun turrets and mines prevented the majority of the Radam Spider-Crab hordes from getting through. Dagger and his attack force had managed to bypass it through a precise interspatial warp that could not be frequently duplicated and could only transport a certain number through. The technique could not be used for a full-scale invasion, but was enough to insert a considerable strike force to test Tarak's inner defenses and retrieve the errant Saber.

However, as the two warriors mixed it up among the rocks and ice, both were unaware of the secret within Tarak's solar system minefield. Deep within the asteroids, a certain rare type of crystal began to awaken and pulse with energy. Unknown to even the men of Tarak, they were the _OTHER_ reason why the Radam kept their distance from the all-male world. And it would only take a certain event in order to trigger their power.

Both Slade and Saber began to slow down the longer they battled. It was if something was starting to drain their energy. The Crimson Tekkaman in particular was feeling a bit light-headed. Then he decided that it was now time to obliterate his half-sibling once and for all.

Both he and the former Saotome faced each other off as the red-colored warrior gestured with his lance at Slade. "I've got admit… you're just as strong as you were the last time we fought! However, I'm NOT the same as I once was!"

"What are you talking about!?" Slade demanded. "You're the _SAME_ psycho you've always been!"

"Yes, but now THIS psycho has a new trick to show you!"

With these words, Saber began focusing his energies as his armor started to shift and change shape. He was then enveloped in a scarlet corona of light.

Slade was in a state of shock as he watched his brother morph into something even more dangerous then what he was before.

No! He couldn't be! 

Saber's armor broke apart, then reformed with sharper angles and more bulk. His back formed a kind of hump, then elongated into what looked like a tail. When the transformation completed itself, Tekkaman Saber became Tekkaman Slaughter (2)

"Well, what do you think, brother?"

Slade growled as he began powering up his energies as well. "I think I have no choice!"

In an instant, Slade triggered his own transformation and became Tekkaman Blastor.

At that moment, the gun emplacements picked up the surge of power of the two evolved Tekkamen, and decided that both were to be labeled as outside threats. They immediately began to fire on them. The mines were also activated and started to swarm toward them. Laser bolts and cannon shots went flying in all directions, and mines detonated with the force of small nuclear bombs. None of this affected either Tekkaman, but this caused a huge chain reaction within the asteroids as the crystals within them exploded and sent a gigantic backlash of energy to scatter throughout the system. Multitudes of sensors and other instruments started to go haywire. And at the center of it all, two brothers screamed out in agony.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!_"

And they weren't the only ones.

* * *

Dagger, Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby and Phantom all stopped in their tracks as the surge of energy ripped through their very beings. Their bodies were caught in a series of spasms. They had never felt such excruciating pain. The Spider-Crabs also became disoriented and halted in their assault. The men were unable to capitalize on this sudden reversal as their weapons and instruments became scrambled.

As the bombardment of energy waves continued, Dagger decided that enough damage had been inflicted on the enemy and retreated, leaving his Spider-Crabs to die. The monsters began exploding like kernels of popcorn, sending their gory remains all over space. Meia and the others tried to follow Dagger, but they were still feeling intense pain and couldn't catch up to him. He sped out to where Tekkaman Slaughter was and grabbed hold of him. He then sent a signal back to his master Darkon, asking for the hyperspace gate to open for them. As the tear in space opened up, he dragged the now senseless, though evolved Saber and himself through it and disappeared from sight. It was at that time that the energy surge subsided.

However, the surge had caused one of the battlewagons to lose all of is navigational and thruster controls. Unlike the Warrior's Pride, this ship, the Titan's Fist, was ten times larger. As it began to slowly fall through the atmosphere and began to heat up during re-entry, all those who were tracking its descent became horror-struck as they calculated its impact point.

It was going to hit one of the most populated areas on the planet, and it was right next to where the Mejele refugees were being sheltered.

Slade cleared his head and began racing back toward the planet, but he knew that even as an evolved Tekkaman with far greater speed, he wouldn't be able to make it…

"Slade!"

Tekkaman Blastor looked off to one side and saw Meia racing toward him with Dita and Jura trailing behind her. She was the fastest of the three and was soon keeping pace with him as they streaked toward the planet.

By this time, the Titan's Fist was already halfway through the middle layers of the atmosphere and had become a huge flaming meteor. One could only hope that its heat shielding would be enough to protect the crew inside, but that was a moot point. The impact alone would kill the men inside it, not to mention obliterate the population center, and the Mejele ships that were in its path. The resulting crash would most likely send shockwaves across the planet's surface, devastating the nearby landscape and upset the already barren ecosystem. The men were used to meteor showers and such hitting their world, which was one of the main reasons why they built their cities within the huge chasms that were scattered about their planet. However, even they would not be able to withstand such a dire change in their environment. A great many men would die alongside the females once the ship crashed, only more slowly.

Slade poured everything he had into his thrusters, willing himself to go faster. He just had to get there in time! As he sped up, he began to consider his options. Then he realized that there was only one way. Even if he did get ahead of the falling vessel, then he would have to destroy it with his Mega-Voltekker to save the city and the Mejele refugees. That meant that the innocent crew within the vessel would be sentenced… to death.

There was no other option.

_Damn it! To save their lives, I have to take lives! NO! I can't do that! There has to be another way! There has to be!_

At that point, Tekkaman Blastor started to glow with a white light. Meia, who was straining to keep up with him, became puzzled and drew closer. Then it happened…

Just as he did before, Slade unconsciously reached out for more power, and a shaft of energy burst from his armored form and connected… this time with Tekkaman Diamond! The former Dread Leader was pulled toward him as he became translucent. Their bodies became one as armor fused together. Meia gasped as unimaginable power seeped into her and she felt a familiar presence in the back of her mind, urging her to accept the union. In one final burst of brilliance, the transformation was complete.

The new warrior was more sleek and curved than the one formed by Jura and Slade. He/She was about a foot taller than Tekkaman Blastor but was less bulky. The armor was gray with white and scarlet highlights. Behind his/her shoulders were two pairs of sharp, winglike protrusions, along with a quartet of diamond-shaped thrusters. The boots had winglets and the helmet was now framed with smooth, angular surfaces. Every part of the new Tekkaman emphasized one thing…

Speed.

Through the union of Tekkaman Blastor and Diamond… Tekkaman Flash was born!

Dita and Jura were left gaping as Tekkaman Flash suddenly accelerated to what could only be described as going to warp speed! Like a bolt of lightning, he/she shot forward and in less than an instant, he/she crossed the distance and was now just a few hundred meters behind the falling battleship.

Then he/she made another burst of acceleration as he/she angled his/her flight path toward the bow of the craft. Energy emitters appeared on his/her shoulders and began focusing power in front of him/her. Then, in one final charge, he/she shouted out…

"HYPER-LIGHT… VOLTEKKER!"

Tekkaman Flash impacted hard against the bow of the ship, like a projectile being fired off from a rail gun. The front of the Titan's Fist was blown clear off. However, this caused the craft to alter in its trajectory. As its direction changed, the vessel angled away from the population center and toward a more desolate area. Its velocity had lessened with the sudden change in motion, but it still wasn't enough. The city and the Mejele refugees had been spared of instant annihilation, but everyone on the planet was still in jeopardy.

The new Tekkaman powered up and struck with his/her Hyper-Light Voltekker again, this time at the belly of ship with a glancing shot. This caused the ship to fall at a shallower angle and decreased its speed even more. He/she hoped that it would be enough to allow for a much softer landing. As the warship plowed through several, huge sand dunes and started to skip across the surface like a stone over the waters of a pond, he/she powered up for one more strike, in an attempts to stop its motion altogether.

However, it was unnecessary as a familiar giant machine appeared from the sky and flew down to land some distance ahead of the Tarak battlewagon.

It was the other fusion of man and woman… Tekkadread Blade!

Within its combined cockpit, Duero and Barnette directed their machine to begin digging trenches with its energy blades in the path of the oncoming vessel. As it hit each depression, its speed dropped. After digging out more than four miles of ditches, the Tekkadread braced itself against the superheated hull and began firing its thrusters at full throttle to counter the ship's forward momentum. The huge craft tore a wide trench into the sandy surface of the planet as it slowly, but surely decelerated. When the Titan's Fist finally came to a stop and the resulting clouds of sand and debris settled down, the Tekkadread detached itself from the ship and stood triumphant.

Inside the cockpit, both Duero and Barnette gave off simultaneous sighs of relief. It was over… for now.

At that point, Tekkaman Flash split apart into Tekkaman Blastor and Diamond. Both figures landed beside the crashed vessel and immediately transformed back into their human forms. They simultaneously toppled forward into the sand in exhaustion.

Tekkadread Blade immediately split into Tekkaman Razor and Dread Gunner. The good doctor flew down toward his comrades in order to check on them…

* * *

Much later…

In his quarters in the Command Satellite, Grand Pa let off a tired sigh as he bid the officer before him to continue with the report.

The officer in question, Captain Jensen Dar, was a young and exceptionally bright, cruiser commander with short, russet hair. He had a height of 6' 2" and a slender, but tough and wiry build. Unlike the late Sahan Badir, Jensen had earned his command, and had fought his way up through the ranks of the Tarak military. Like Duero, he had undergone the Spirit Trial when he was seven years old and had been upgraded from his 3rd Class status to 1st. He had joined the armed forces at the age of 16 and now at the age of 23, he was among the youngest to ever command a vessel. His ship, the Fire Heart, was one of the newer and more powerful class of heavy cruiser/support carrier. He also led a task force called Grand Pa's Knife, which consisted of eight medium cruisers, six destroyers and their escorts. At times, his superiors considered him a bit of a maverick with his unorthodox methods and ideals, but there was no mistaking his dedication to defending his world from all outside threats and his loyalty to Grand Pa.

Jensen took a deep breath as he read the figures. "The casualty figures are as follows. The B-class cruisers Warrior's Pride, Battle Axe, and Double Edge were totally destroyed, with all hands lost. The AX-Class Support Carrier-Cruiser Avenger's Sword was also lost with 100 casualties. Dirk-Class Destroyers Defiant and Courageous were mauled by Spider-Crabs, with no survivors. Alpha-Type Battleship Titan's Fist reported 60 fatalities of its crew, which came to 875 men. If it weren't for that thing the women called a Tekkadread and that strange new Tekkaman, then they would have all died. Total Vanguard pilot losses has been tallied at 178. Death toll at the Command Satellite came to 98. The final count… one thousand, eight hundred and four confirmed dead, with another six hundred and forty wounded, and twelve missing."

He shut off the data pad and added, "This was all done by just two Tekkamen and several dozen Spider-Crabs. And according to what Slade told us afterwards, they weren't even TRYING to destroy us."

"By all the gods of Tarak, this is not acceptable." Grand Pa said as he took in the information. "And the reports from the Nirvana stated that the Radam have at least FOUR Tekkamen and an unknown number of Tekkadreads, not to mention what appears to be an unlimited number of Spider-Crabs. It was just by pure luck, we were able to end up with these results. It could have been worse… MUCH worse."

Jensen nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment, then asked, "May I speak freely, Your Excellency?"

"You may."

The cruiser captain nodded. "Great Grand Pa, from what I have already seen from a military and practical standpoint, my professional opinion is that we men of Tarak will not be able to win on our own against the Radam."

"I see. And the reasons for this conclusion?"

"It has already been proven beyond a doubt that conventional weaponry and our mechs, have little to no effect against Tekkamen. Even if they had been able to use their main armaments, the men of the Warrior's Pride still wouldn't have been able to stop Tekkaman Saber or the others. Though our Vanguards have proven effective against the Spider-Crabs, the Radam have the advantage in sheer force of numbers. Additionally, we don't know if our fleets are any match against the Tekkadreads. And lastly, so far we've enjoyed minor to moderate skirmishes against them. We have yet to feel a full-force assault. If it hadn't been for those crystal deposits in the Asteroid Belt Defenses, I have no doubt that we would have suffered the same fate as Mejele."

Grand Pa nodded sadly. He had been informed by Magno and her crew about certain rare crystals that had a detrimental effect on the Tekkaman Power Process, and apparently it also affected Spider-Crabs. If they had known about those crystals, then a more potent defense could have been created.

When the original Asteroid Defense Belt was destroyed in the Radam's initial attacks, Tarak engineers worked around the clock to recreate the system using the inner field of asteroids that floated near the middle of their solar system. When the Radam suddenly stopped in their heavy assaults and switched to small, easily handled attacks, the men became puzzled as to why the enemy was now hesitant and more careful. It was only discovered now that the new Defense Belt was emitting low levels of disruptive energies, which had been keeping the Spider-Crabs at bay.

Now, with the asteroid belt obliterated, the crystals had released all of their energies at once in one massive surge. The Nirvana's Tekkaman could still transform, but must do so on the planet to be out of range of those energies. Parfet had estimated that the energy levels would disperse within one month. At that point, there would be nothing to deter the Radam from attacking Tarak in full force.

One month. A mere thirty days for men and woman to find the strength to overcome the merciless Radam, not to mention the animosity that had built up over the last hundred years between the sexes.

Grand Pa sighed again. Things were going to get rough. Then he addressed the young captain. "You do realize what you are implying, don't you Captain Dar?"

"Yes, Grand Pa. We need the women's help."

"I'm glad that you see things from a more sensible viewpoint. Out of all the officers in the Tarak Armed Forces, you are one of the few with whom I can trust to carry out my orders."

"I thank you, Grand Pa. Rest assured, I shall follow and protect you with my very life if need be."

"Let us hope it does not come to that. So be it. We shall begin integrating the Mejele women into our society. I know that it will be a shock to nearly all and heresy to even consider such a thing, but in order to ensure the survival of the human race, we must do what is necessary. Since the crew of the Nirvana had men and women cohabitating together for over a year, we shall use them as our model in order to get cooperation between the genders."

"As you command, Grand Pa."

* * *

The Nirvana…

Slade rushed into the Sick Bay after being transported back onto the ship. Though he was almost totally drained from his fight with Saber, he still needed to make sure that a certain someone was all right. Running behind him, was Meia, Dita and Jura.

"_CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!_" Slade cried out as he flung open the door to the Sick Bay.

Slade stopped suddenly as he saw Magno sitting up on a bed. Beside her was Duero as he assessed the readings on a nearby pulse meter. Magno was dressed in a surgical gown and her long, silver-streaked, blonde hair was loose and flowing. Her left arm and shoulder was tightly bandaged, and her left wrist had an IV attached to a bag of plasma hanging beside her bed. She looked up and smiled at him.

"Hello Ranma… my son…"

Slade felt a surge of emotion as he rushed forward to embrace her. In his haste, he let slip a certain word…

"_MOTHER!_"

Behind him, the three female Tekkaman stared in shock. Nearby, some other crew members heard the outburst. On the Nirvana, gossip spread like wildfire and soon everyone on board were exclaiming the same thing…

"**_MOTHER?!"_ **

To be continued…

Author's Notes

Wow! This was a long chapter, but I had to get at least the groundwork for the Mejele/Tarak alliance done. For those of you who are disappointed in the sudden end to the battle, don't worry. You'll see plenty of action in future chapters as each person plays out his/her parts. In the next chapter, we're going to see the two genders as they rediscover the joys and sorrows of living together, and some new characters being introduced. And of course, we're also going to see the ramifications of Slade's declaration.

(1) Got this scene after watching the Last Starfighter.

(2) I can't remember the name of Saber's evolved form or if he even got a name in the last episode of Tekkaman Blade, but I like this name. It suits him.


	28. Chapter 12, Part 1: Moving In

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE**

Disclaimer: Well, here we go again. Vandread, Tekkaman Blade and Ranma all belong to their respective creators, but I don't think they mind if I use their characters in this story, since I'm not getting paid for this.

' ': Thoughts

**Chapter 12 **

**Part 1 **

**Moving In **

The Conference Room of the Nirvana

"And there we have it." Duero declared as he showed BC, Gasco and a few others, the DNA profiles of both Slade and Magno's. "On the left you can see the Captain's base genetic structure. On the right is Slade's. Now if we were to superimpose one on top of the other in the correct sequencing" The Tarak doctor made the holographic images combine. " you can clearly see the correlation between parent and child. It's just about what you would expect from a fahma/baby relation or in Slade's case, from mother to son."

"Amazing." Buzom remarked. "And there is no chance of error in your data?"

"None whatsoever." He assured as he brought up the X-chromosomes of both Magno and Slade. "As you now know, in ancient times, when men and women procreated naturally, the mother would always donate one X-chromosome to her children. Since Slade is male, we can safely assume that his Y-chromosome came from his father. Now if we were to compare the DNA markers of Vivian Magno's X-chromosome with Slade's, we have an exact match. He could have only inherited these characteristics from his mother. This is irrefutable proof that the Captain is Slade's mother."

"But they look so different." Parfat pointed out.

"I'm not at all surprised, considering over five hundred years had passed between them." Duero said as he then made an image of an old photo appear. "Now this is a picture of Slade when he was around four or five years old."

"Ooh! He's soooo cute!" Dita exclaimed. Jura nodded in agreement. Ranma, or rather Slade was really adorable for a little boy. As for Meia, she simply gazed upon the image without saying anything, thought she silently concurred with her compatriots.

"Now the woman in this image is his mother, our captain."

"That's our captain?" Gascogne said in surprise.

Duero cleared his throat as he continued. "Just remember that this picture was taken over half a millennia ago and she had undergone quite a few changes. Due to a disaster around the end of the 20th century on Earth, Vivian Magno, or rather Nodoka Saotome as she was called back then or was it Tensuke? In any case, she had to undergo cryogenic suspension after contracting a fatal disease. She was only intended to be in stasis for a few months until a cure was found, but instead she wound up being frozen for centuries. When she awoke a century ago, she had herself surgically altered and eventually aged into the person we now know. However, from this photo, you can clearly see the resemblance between her and her child."

The doctor then brought up an image of young Ranma's face. "Now then, if we were to gradually age this child through the computer simulation" He worked the controls on the console until the face matured into someone familiar. " you can see who this boy grew up to be." The image then showed Slade's face, minus the scar.

As the images then faded away, certain girls in the room were thinking the same thing.

There was another way to get to Slade's heart through his mother.

* * *

The Sick Bay

"So tell me was Saber my half-brother?" Slade asked as he sat at his mother's bedside.

Magno took a deep breath as she sat on the medical bed. Then, after a long pause, she nodded. "Yes, that was Kenji your brother. When I saw his face, there was no mistake. And it seems that he no longer sees me as his mother." The aged woman bowed her head in shame. "Frankly, I don't blame him or you. I haven't been much of a mother to either of my sons, have I? I let your father take you away on that training trip, and I failed in raising Kenji right. Now my sons see me as a stranger, someone whom they don't want anything to do with."

Slade felt a bit of a stab at his heart when he heard these words. He had recently decided to try and reconcile with basically his only family. Magno, or rather Nodoka was the only real person he could relate to. Aside from his memories of Genma, whom he despised, his early memories of his mother were sometimes the only things that kept him sane in this crazy universe. At that point, he reached out and gently embraced her. This gave her a bit of a surprise, then he gave her another.

"Mom."

Hearing that word from her son immediately got her attention and lifted her from her depression. She became still and silent as it sunk in. He had just called her Mom!

Slade trembled a bit as he gathered his thoughts and put them into words. "I don't blame you for all the time we've lost. I was only five and I didn't know any better. And when I saw Saber about to kill you, I realized that you're still a part of me. I guess this is fate's half-assed way of giving back what it took from both of us all those hundreds of years ago a second chance."

"Oh Ranma!" Magno began sobbing into his chest as Slade continued to hold her.

The long and slow rebuilding of the bond between parent and child had begun.

* * *

The next day

As Slade and Magno had begun reestablishing the connection between them, certain other people were also in the process of building bridges, specifically those between the genders.

* * *

The Bridge of the Fire Heart

Captain Jensen Dar sat in his command chair as each of his crew members went about his normal duties. As he sipped from his cup of coffee, (one of the few luxuries that were allowed for the men of Tarak), one of his subordinates, a lieutenant, approached him with a data pad. The officer was a slim youngster, with short black hair.

"Captain?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Trane?"

"Here is tomorrow's duty roster for your approval. Plus, there is a listing of the transfers to our ship, effective immediately."

Jensen nodded as he took the data pad and perused the names on the screen. When he came to the listing of transfers, his expression tightened slightly, then relaxed as he signed the pad with his thumbprint, then gave it back to his subordinate.

"Very good, Lieutenant. Carry on."

"Sir!" Trane saluted and walked off with the data pad.

It was then that the intercom buzzed him.

"Captain Dar?"

"Yes?"

"Sir, the new transfers have just been cleared through security and have boarded the ship."

Jensen nodded as he got up from his chair and straightened out his uniform. He then replied to the intercom. "Have the new members taken to their assigned quarters so they can settle in. Inform their commanding officer that I will be meeting her, in my office in ten minutes. At 0630 hours, I want the new recruits to assemble in the main hanger for general operations briefing. Understood?"

"Understood sir."

"Dar out."

* * *

Captain's Office

The commander of the Fire Heart waited patiently in his chair at his desk as he contemplated the changes that Grand Pa had decided to implement. After that horrific encounter with the Radam and its Tekkamen, the supreme leader of the all-male world had immediately decided to begin integrating the women into Tarak's society. That not only included the civilian populace, but also the military.

Naturally, many of the officers in the High Command protested against the idea of allowing the women to serve alongside the men, but Grand Pa was absolutely adamant about it. Most of the Mejele officers were without vessels to serve on after their homeworld was lost, and the old man had decided to assign them to Tarak ships. In return, the Mejele females would share some of their technology to upgrade several of the battleships and cruisers, in preparation for the inevitable Radam invasion.

Unlike a good number of his fellow officers, Jensen was more open-minded, and wasn't afraid to take chances and make drastic changes, if the desired end result was achieved. His crew was a ragtag group that he had hand-picked from over a hundred other vessels. There was a wide range of personalities, from the slackers to the hard-core, by-the-book extremists. Overall, they were a curious bunch, especially the Vanguard Squadron that went by the nickname of the Brawler Brigade. The mecha squadron was led by a grizzled veteran named Hikar Fulson, but just about everyone called him the Old Gun. He had a very gruff exterior and didn't care for fancy words or displays. For the most part, he stuck to direct phrases, or even grunts to get his point across. However, when it came to Vanguard combat, he had virtually no equal in all of the Tarak fleet and the Brawler Brigade was perhaps even better than Slade's Warrior Squadron.

However, despite all of their differences, the crew was absolutely loyal to the captain, and would follow him into Hell a thousand times over. Jensen was the kind of person who could relate to each and every individual on the ship. He recognized their talents and was able to place each one in a position that suited him perfectly. He took the dropouts, the overlooked, the discarded, the rejected and even the criminal of all the other men serving in the armed forces, and made them into the most cohesive crew that ever manned a vessel. And now, they would have to adapt to the concept of including females into their ranks.

Like the Nirvana's physician, Jensen didn't take much stock in the propaganda about the women being monsters that sucked out men's innards, and he was very interested to see how they performed under combat situations. If they were anything like the Mejele pirates in the reports that Duero, Bart and Buzom had given, then an alliance with them would be worth any minor inconveniences. It was one of the reasons why he volunteered his ship to be part of the division that would comprise of both male and female crew members.

He then began thinking of one encounter he had with the women, though it was under much different circumstances

* * *

Flashback

First Officer Jensen Dar of the Destroyer Fire Heart, gritted his teeth as he and the remaining bridge crew manned the secondary command center. The initial barrage from that Mejele cruiser had caught them off-guard and had killed the captain, along with the rest of the senior staff. Now, their enemy was coming in close to finish them off. The main guns of the smaller destroyer needed time to power up, and the torpedo bays weren't finished reloading.

It was then that Jensen came up with an idea. He turned to a young ensign with black hair.

"Ensign Corby, do we still have any of those plasma mines left?"

The younger man looked down at his console and nodded. "Yes. We have four left. But what good will they do?"

Jensen checked his readouts on the position of the Mejele cruiser. "Launch all mines at coordinates 87-49-12 and manually detonate them on my command. Also fire off the EMP-burst torpedo to the same coordinates!"

"But"

"Do it!"

The ensign nodded as he punched in commands. At the same time, Jensen ordered the refuse tubes to be emptied.

"Launching mines launching EMP-burst torpedo" Ensign Corby announced, then he shouted out. "Commander! They're firing on us!"

"Steady hold it _NOW! DETONATE MINES AND ACTIVATE EMP-BURST!_"

"_DETONATING MINES! ACTIVATING EMP-BURST!_"

There was huge flash of light as the mines exploded. The cruiser's particle beams were enveloped before they could reach the destroyer, thereby dispersing their energies. As the same time, the EMP-Burst Torpedo went off and its power was amplified by the resulting blast. As a result, the cruiser suddenly stopped as streaks of crackling energy started crisscrossing over its shields and hull.

The ensign stared in amazement as he turned to his superior. "What happened sir? They just stopped."

Jensen nodded as he explained. "The explosion caused by those plasma mines acted as our shield and also amplified the effects of the EMP-Burst. Those women may have better technology but their instruments are really sensitive to electromagnetic disruptions. Right now, I'd say that they just lost all long and medium-range sensors. They're flying blind now."

"But that EMP-Burst took out our sensors too!"

"Yeah, but we got something they don't. Does Corporal Terin still like to stargaze with those telescopes?"

"You're going to navigate and target the enemy manually?"

Jensen nodded as he began calling for the navigation crews and Corporal Terin.

* * *

Soon

"I can't believe that we got behind them!" Ensign Corby declared as he was informed that the weapons were armed and ready. In the main observation deck, Corporal Terrin was looking through his telescope and giving ranges to the fire control crews.

"Target their main engines first and _FIRE!_" Jensen barked.

The heavy particle cannons of the destroyer took some time to charge, but were devastating once used. Massive beams lanced toward the Mejele ship and struck near its aft section, causing it to shudder.

"Direct hit!" Corby shouted.

"Fire torpedoes! Full spread!" Jensen shouted.

"Torpedoes away _YES!_ Ninety-eight percent direct hits!"

"Begin firing all secondary guns and charge the main cannons!"

The destroyer began firing a continuous barrage at its adversary, causing massive damage. A second salvo from the main guns took out the Mejele ship's shields completely, as Corby announced that the enemy was now at their mercy.

"Commander! The Mejele ship is completely unprotected! One more barrage from the main cannons and we can finish it off!"

It was then that Jensen looked down at his readouts and saw the remaining power levels. It they were to fire the main guns again, then they would have nothing left to get back to Tarak with. He had to make a decision whether to go for the glory of defeating the women, or to save his crew from perishing in space before their energy reserves were depleted.

"Break off the attack and head for home."

"What?!"

"You heard me, Ensign. Head back to Tarak."

"But why?!"

"We _DON'T_ have enough power to destroy them and get back home. The crew come first Ensign, always!"

"But we're so close to beating them"

"We've already beaten them. They can't fight back and they KNOW we could destroy them if we could. Having them return to Grand Ma in defeat will be enough for now. I'm not about to sacrifice the crew for personal pride."

Corby was about to protest further, but then saw the look in his superior's eyes, which brooked no argument. He then ordered the navigation crew to plot a course for home.

* * *

End of flashback

Though he had not destroyed the enemy, Jensen was still hailed as a hero and the encounter was seen as a victory for the all-male planet. He was soon promoted to captain and had renamed his new ship as the Fire Heart. Since that time, he had been seen by his peers as a kind of young genius and an enemy to be feared on the battlefield.

He started to read over the files concerning the one who would become his new First Officer. He had lost his second-in-command, one engineer and several of his senior staff during that devastating encounter with the Radam Tekkamen. His crewmembers had been on temporary assignment aboard the Double-Edge, and all had perished during the attack. He had lost a dozen good friends that day, including Corby and Terrin, who had followed him since their encounter with the Mejele vessel.

As he scanned over the data pad concerning the leader of the group that transferred to the Fire Heart, he nodded in tentative approval. The woman had a good, solid record and had commanded a vessel of her own before her people were forced to abandon Mejele. In fact, she had to sacrifice her ship as a diversion in order for the populace to make their escape. She was no desk officer and had seen her share of combat. Her rise through the ranks was comparable to his own, and she was about a year younger than he was. On paper, she seemed to be the ideal soldier. All of the Mejele transfers to the Fire Heart would be from her former crew.

However, these were just facts and figures. The real person might be very different from what her records made her out to be.

It was at that point that his office door beeped, indicating that someone was waiting on the other side for admittance. Jensen nodded as he pushed aside the file and assumed that he was about to meet the person in question. He stood up straight and called out to the door.

"Come in."

The door hissed open and allowed for Jensen's new First Officer to enter.

She was a striking woman with long, straight, silver-blonde hair that was tied back in a simple, braid that ended behind her shoulder blades. Her bangs were cropped in a kind of frizzy style and hung over her forehead. She had an oval face, with large, green eyes. She wore simple bead earrings and was garbed in the standard dress uniform of the Mejele military. This consisted of a pale blue, long-sleeved jacket that ended in a pointed, tail at the back, like a tuxedo. She wore matching slacks and low-heeled, pearl-white boots with cuffed tops. On the left breast of the jacket, was the insignia of the Mejele fleet. She was about 5' 9" and had a lithe figure. She had softly flaring hips, narrow waist, firm rounded breasts and long legs. She was nothing like the propaganda films that depicted women as inhuman monsters.

However, she exhibited a kind of no-nonsense air about her as she stood at attention, gave her new superior a sharp salute and introduced herself. Her voice had a melodic tone to it, but also gave off a commanding ring.

"Lieutenant Commander Aika Shan reporting for duty."

"At ease, Commander." Jensen replied, as he returned the salute and motioned for her to sit down in a chair adjacent to his desk. As she did so, he also returned to his seat. Lacing his fingers together and holding out his hands before him on the desk, he locked eyes with his new subordinate.

* * *

A few minutes before

Aika Shan, formerly of the Mejele cruiser Crimson Twilight, felt as if she was an inmate on her final journey toward the executioner's chamber. To say that she was not happy about her new assignment would be an understatement. At this moment, she would rather have a lobotomy performed on her, without anesthetic, than having to follow the orders of a man from Tarak.

When it was announced by Grand Pa and Grand Ma, that the women of the Mejele military would be reassigned to serve aboard Tarak cruisers and battleships, the higher ranks caused quite an uproar and a series of protests. However, despite numerous outbursts and threats of desertion or worse, the truth of the matter was that there was no other alternative.

The remaining Mejele vessels, including Grand Ma's flagship, were already battered nearly to the point of being scrapped, after their numerous encounters with the Radam Spider-Crabs. It was decided, most reluctantly by Grand Ma and her inner circle of councilwomen, that the vessels were to be dismantled, and used as raw material to enhance the Tarak warships and build more weapons against the Radam, such as Vanguards, Dread fighters and the new devices called Tekkasuits, in which the Nirvana had developed.

Aika considered herself fortunate that she would not have to bear the disgrace of having her own cruiser scrapped and used to make the men stronger. During the final evacuation of Mejele, she had ordered her crew to abandon ship and left the Crimson Twilight to drift into the path of the oncoming hordes of Spider-Crabs, as a booby trap. She had set the reactors to overload in thirty seconds, which caused the craft to explode with the force of a 50 megaton thermonuclear bomb, taking out several hundred of the monsters and allowed the rest of the fleet to escape.

When the ship died, a part of her had died with it. The Crimson Twilight had been the symbol of her success and the source of her pride, confidence and independence. She had fought long and hard for her command. Unlike some of the more privileged officers in the Mejele military, Aika had come from one of the lower classes, and had to fight her way up to her present rank. Now, with her ship gone and most of her crew reassigned to other vessels, she was going to have to serve on a ship that belonged to someone else. It was no better than being demoted. And she could only imagine what this Captain Jensen Dar was like.

Like most other women from Mejele, Aika wasn't exactly fond of the men of Tarak and considered them to be brutes and savages. Before the time of the Radam invasion and subjugation of Mejele, her ship had been assigned the task of patrolling the outer sectors of the women's territories. As a result, she and her crew often skirmished with Tarak ships that tried to cross their borders. In just about every encounter, the Crimson Twilight had emerged victorious in beating back or destroying the enemy.

Except for one time. Aika gritted her teeth a bit at that memory. It was the one black mark in her career that she could never forget.

* * *

Flashback

"Commander! All of our long and mid-range sensor arrays are being jammed! We've also lost visual on the Tarak destroyer!"

Aika immediately stood up from her command seat. "What?! How did that happen?"

Her navigator began checking the readouts on her console. "Apparently, we didn't damage that destroyer as much as we believed. What we thought was a direct hit on their port side was actually an explosion caused by a series of plasma mines. They must have released and detonated them, just as we fired. Those exploding mines blocked our attack and absorbed most of its energy. All that debris we saw was only jettisoned material that simulated battle damage. And among that material was some kind of electro-scrambler device. It gave off an EMP pulse that's interfering with our sensor arrays!"

"Where is that destroyer now!?" Aika demanded.

"Impossible to track them with our long and mid-range sensors out of commission. Our short-range sensors are still functioning, but we could only detect them if they were almost on top"

_**WHABOOM! **_

The Crimson Twilight shuddered as something impacted hard against its hull near the stern. Damage reports started flooding the bridge. Several smaller hits followed, causing the craft to shudder even more.

Aika's First Officer, a brown-haired girl with blue eyes, frowned as she read the data to her superior. "That Tarak destroyer is behind and starboard to us. Its particle cannons hit sections 29 to 35! It then followed through with a barrage of proton torpedoes. Main engines are offline! We can only maneuver with the emergency thrusters"

_**KABOOM! **_

" sections 48 to 56 have been hit! Third-level shields are failing! Primary guns are inoperable! Secondary guns are down by 45! One more hit like that and we are finished!"

'_Damn it!_' Aika thought as she couldn't believe that she had been outmaneuvered. At the start of the battle, she had gotten the early advantage by catching the destroyer off-guard. A few salvoes had seemingly crippled the ship and made it a sitting duck. When she had closed in to finish it off, she had not been expecting it to be playing possum. Now she and her crew were paying for her mistake.

_**BOOOOM! **_

"Main engineering reports that all defensive shields have failed!" The First Officer shouted out. "We cannot take another hit! All remaining weapon systems are down to 10"

Aika took a deep breath and waited for the end.

Then, as quickly as the attack had begun, it ceased. The main view screen finally came back online, and showed that the destroyer that was about to execute the Crimson Twilight was leaving?

Everyone on the bridge was as surprised as she was. That Tarak ship had them dead to rights. Why was it withdrawing from a battle it had all but won?

As it moved off back toward Tarak space, the view screen showed an image of the ship's registry and name in the men's language. The navigator fed the data through the translator.

ITSF-1574D Fire Heart (1)

* * *

End of flashback

The Fire Heart.

Though she had never encountered that destroyer again, nor found out who had been commanding it, that name always made her angry, as it reminded her of the first loss she had suffered at the hands of the men. Now she was going to serve on a ship with the same name.

She would have laughed at the irony if she wasn't so upset about losing to the men and having to work on one of their ships.

She steeled herself to endure the shame and likely ridicule her new superior would mete out as she stood at the door to the captain's office. She pushed the com button on the side of the wall, then heard a voice.

"Come in."

The door slid open and Aika stepped forward toward her destiny.

As she entered the room, she was confronted by a male who was more than a head-and-a-half taller than she was. However, he didn't fit the image she had of a Tarak male. He appeared to be only a year or two older than she was. And he seemed to be somewhat gentle-looking, not at all like the Tarak Prime Minister and the other officers during the conference.

He was of moderate build, and was dressed in the drab brown uniform that all men of the Tarak armed forces wore. On his shoulders were gold epaulets that were rimmed with silver. In their centers were four triangles, which denoted his rank as a starship captain. On his right shoulder was the insignia of the ITSF, also rimmed with four triangles. He had short, russet hair, but what really got her attention, was his eyes. They were the most unusual shade of grey.

However, at that moment, Aika remembered herself and snapped off a sharp salute. "Lieutenant Commander Aika Shan, reporting for duty."

"At ease, Commander." Jensen replied as he motioned for her to sit down at a chair, then sat himself down as well.

Aika sat down casually with her hands clasped on her lap. It was at that point that the interview got underway.

Jensen looked down and read the report in front of him. "I'm Captain Jensen Dar of the Cruiser-Carrier Fire Heart, division 487 of Task Force 12, AKA Grand Pa's Knife. It says here that your are Lieutenant Commander Aika Shan, age 22. Formally of the Mejele High-Speed Attack Cruiser Crimson Twilight. Finished fourth in her class at the Grand Ma Military Academy on Mejele. First assigned to the Mejele cruiser Sunrise, and had an exceptional tour of duty before being given secondary command of the Crimson Twilight at age 18. Took over as its primary commander one year later and had led several successful missions. You've been decorated twice with the Nova Star of Bravery, and was being considered for promotion to full Captain's Rank First Class, but due to some incident two years ago, (which is not listed on this report), you were turned down."

Aika's eyes narrowed as she remembered back to that one failure which had cost her a chance to be promoted. When she and the Crimson Twilight limped back to Mejele, the upper brass had decided to not upgrade her rank at the time, due to her loss to a lowly, Tarak destroyer. She had been considered for promotion again later on, but that was when the Radam appeared.

Jensen continued to read the report. "You were forced to destroy the Crimson Twilight during the Radam invasion and the evacuation of Mejele. Your current assignment under the new Tarak/Mejele Alliance Pact is to take the position of First Officer aboard the Fire Heart and aid in the war against the Radam." He then turned off the data pad. "Which means that you will be serving under my command."

"Yes."

Jensen then gave her a slight smile as he stood up and extended his right hand to her. "Welcome aboard First Officer."

Aika gazed upon him in surprise. She had been expecting him to begin berating her for her failure to be promoted and as a woman overall, but he showed none of that. He was simply accepting her as his new second-in-command without a thought.

* * *

"It's so"

Aika couldn't find the words to describe what she was seeing as Jensen led her down the halls toward her quarters.

Jensen nodded at her bewilderment as he had been one of the few Tarak officers who had toured a Mejele vessel before it had been claimed by the dismantling and salvage teams. "I'll admit that the Fire Heart's insides aren't as pretty as what you're used to seeing on a Mejele cruiser."

"No." Aika said quickly, as she didn't want to start any conflict so early on. She may dislike the idea of working with men, but this truce was necessary if all humankind were to survive. "I don't find your ship offensive I mean, it's just that I've never seen hallways so"

"Plain? Empty? Undecorated? Dreary? Not as bright? Not as cheerful?" Jensen supplied. "Well, what you see here is just about what you'll see on any Tarak vessel. We don't do any of that fancy dcor that you're probably used to. Frankly, it's better this way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, unlike Mejele, our resources aren't as plentiful, so we prefer to keep things straight, and uncomplicated. As long as the halls are neat and allow us to get to where we need to go, then how they look is irrelevant. I've been in one of your cruisers and frankly, I don't see the point of why every three feet of wall space has some picture of flowers or something on it. And I really don't get why you illuminate those halls with all those mirrors and lights. The energy used to power those fixtures for an hour could be shared between a dozen crew-quarters for three days."

"It's to make the atmosphere more cheerful and bright." Aika insisted. "We believe that a good outward appearance allows for better interaction between crewmembers. And they do need those mirrors to fix their makeup and make uniform adjustments and"

"And all that still doesn't make sense to me." Jensen stated, then decided to change the subject. "But you and your crewmates weren't brought on board this ship for your opinions on aesthetics. You're here to work, and I expect for everyone on the Fire Heart to do his or her job to the best of his or her ability."

"I assure you that my crewmates and I are among the best, if not THE BEST of the Mejele Armed Forces." Aika said with a slightly defiant tone. She wasn't about to back down to any man.

Her superior nodded slightly. "Time will tell." He then stopped in front of a door and spoke to the computer lock. "Captain Jensen Dar, security override A789."

The computer lock beeped in acknowledgement as it scanned him and verified his identity. The door hissed open, and the two entered the room. Jensen then gestured to his new First Officer. "Well, these are your new quarters for the next month."

Aika's eyes widened in disbelief as she took in the place where she was going to be sleeping in. There was practically nothing in it. The chamber was approximately 10 foot X 10 foot and had a foldable bunk that was currently pushed up against the far wall. Adjacent to the bunk was a small bathroom, which consisted of a toilet, a shower stall and a sink. Illumination was provided by small lit panels on the ceiling. Near the bunk, was a communications console and screen on the wall. There was a closet opposite to the bunk, but other than that, there was nothing special or fancy about her new quarters. In fact, it was about as simple as one could get for living arrangements.

"This is it?" Aika had heard of stories of the primitive living conditions that the men of Tarak had to endure, both on their vessels and on their homeworld. However, she had been expecting that a person of her high rank to be given more sophisticated living space. She was the First Officer after all.

"These are the quarters for the First Officer." Jensen confirmed. "You'll find a supply of soap, shampoo, and other necessities in the closet. I suggest that you budget them carefully, since we can only replenish each crewmember's quarters once every two weeks. If you need any extra or special requisitions, then you'll have to discuss that with the Quartermaster. You're free to customize this room to your liking, though the general ship rule is to keep personal effects to a minimum."

"This is it?" Aika repeated, still in disbelief.

The captain of the Fire Heart took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. You get exactly what every crewmember on this ship gets. We provide the essentials only. Whatever else you may want, you'll have to obtain on your own. You can consult the computer interface if you have any questions about normal ship operations. I expect you and the rest of the transfers to report to the main hanger deck for general briefings at 0630 hours. If there's nothing more and if you don't have any further questions" He then started to turn toward the door.

"THESE are the First Officer's quarters?" Aika repeated yet again.

Jensen stopped before the open door, but didn't turn to face her. He let off a tired sigh and replied, "Yes. These are the First Officer's quarters. I should know, since one of my best friends had been assigned here."

"Who?"

"My First Officer before the Radam Tekkamen slaughtered him and eleven other good friends two days ago." He paused as his right hand clenched into a fist at this side. It had nearly pushed him to tears when the cleanup crews were sent in to clear the vacant quarters and prepare them for the new arrivals. Since his dead crewmembers had no surviving relatives to lay claim on their personal belongings, nearly all of it had been taken away to be broken down into raw materials, and used for the buildup against the inevitable Radam invasion. He had just managed to get one or two small mementos from each room and had them sent to his home on Tarak. Aside from the planetary register, those keepsakes were the only reminders that they had existed at all.

Jensen then straightened up and walked out of the room without another word, leaving his new First Officer speechless over what she had just witnessed.

For just about all her life, she had been taught that the men of Tarak were brutish, uncaring savages. It was generally believed by the populace that the males were not prone to being sensitive or to show any kind of tender emotions.

So did she just imagine seeing her new superior officer show sorrow over lost comrades?

* * *

Aika wasn't the only female who was getting a shock, as the other women from the Crimson Twilight were also having difficulties settling in.

* * *

"Where's the bidet?" Third Lieutenant Shenia Acron asked as she looked at her quarter's bathroom.

"The what?!" First Lieutenant Carden Zemer remarked in puzzlement. He gave the short-haired, petite brunette an expression of confusion.

Shenia looked back up, though she had to strain her neck a bit to meet his eyes. She had no idea that men grew so big. Carden was at least 6' 3" with sandy blonde hair. He towered over her, as she was only a mere 5' 7". She became extremely embarrassed when she tried to describe a bidet. "The you know the bidet?"

"No, I have no idea what a bidet is."

"It's that thing you sit on, when you ?"

Carden paused for a moment, then nodded in comprehension. "Oh, is that what you call a toilet on Mejele? Well, it's right there." He extended a hand and pointed to it.

Shenia raised her hands and waved them while shaking her head. "No! No! No! We have toilets on Mejele too! I mean, the thing you sit on after you well?"

This made Carden more confused. "The thing you sit on after? You mean another toilet? Why would you need two toilets in a bathroom? Just do your business, and clean yourself off with the toilet paper, flush it down with everything else, then use the sink to wash your hands. Why complicate things with another toilet?"

The Mejele female became even more uncomfortable. "You use toilet paper to? You mean you use paper to clean your? You actually use your hands to?"

Carden shrugged. "Hey, it's a dirty job, but you got to do it. That's why you wash your hands afterwards. That's what the sanitizer liquid is for. Why? What's this got to do with sitting on a second toilet?"

"The bidet is not a second toilet! It's there to wash your well, so you don't have to touch your uhm?"

"Huh? Is that what a bidet is?! Is that what it's for?! You're kidding me! You mean you women use twice as much water whenever you?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Hey, when you're wasting water like that, then it becomes everyone's business on Tarak. You can't use up water like that, especially now that we're on full-scale war production." He then pointed to the roll of toilet paper near the toilet and then the sink. "There's the toilet paper, and there's the sink. Don't use more than three or four squares every day, since we are only given two rolls per re-supply periods. You got to make it last for two weeks, got that? And by the way, limit your showers to 6 minutes per day."

"Six minutes?! That's nowhere near long enough to"

Carden cut her off with a glare. "I told you before that we're on full-scale war production. Every resource has to be rationed, and we can't afford to waste anything. See that timer on the shower stall? It's usually preset for 10 minutes. However, with the Radam planning to invade us, it's been changed to 6 minutes. Clean yourself off quick and get out of the shower, because it will automatically shut off after the timer reaches zero. If you really want to stretch your water ration, then I'd suggest you consider taking sponge baths."

Shenia stood in helpless silence and she began to wonder if it would have been better to stay on Mejele and take her chances with the Spider Crabs.

* * *

In the ship's cafeteria

"Ewwww! How can you EAT this?" Ensign Marika Sterlano remarked as she chewed her first mouthful of Tarak food pills and swallowed. She had been one of the Dread pilots aboard the Crimson Twilight and possessed a slender, lithe form. The long-haired redhead winced as the flavor, or lack of it, made her feel a bit nauseated. She then pushed the remainder of her meal aside.

"Eh, you get used to it." Sergeant Sosike Tamar said as he took another heaping spoonful and swallowed. He was second-in-command of the Brawler Brigade, and was nearly as good as the Old Gun when it came to piloting a Vanguard. He was built like an Olympic gymnast and had short black hair styled in a military buzz cut. "So what did you usually eat on Mejele?"

"Well, basically it could be any kind of food we wanted, as long as it was properly prepared and cooked."

"Prepared? Cooked?"

"Well, yes. I mean, the meat had to be seasoned and heated properly. The vegetables have to be washed and chopped. I mean, if you want it to taste good, the food has to be measured and combined in the right proportions and"

"That's a lot of trouble to go through for something to eat."

"Excuse me?"

"I said that it's a lot of trouble to make something that'll only take a few seconds to chew and swallow. Now don't get me wrong. I know what cooking is all about."

This statement caught Marika by surprise. "You do?"

The sergeant nodded. "I've roasted a lot of Shelari and Sandstalkers in my day, but in the end, it uses up a lot of energy and time, and in our business, we can't afford to waste either. Then you've got to consider all the energy and resources needed to store food. The pills may not taste as fancy as whatever you women ate, but they don't spoil as easy and you don't need as much to keep you going. Of course, whenever I get leave time, I do get a craving for a barbeque and there are some restaurants on Tarak that serve good Shelari steak."

"Excuse me, but what are Shelari and Sandstalkers?"

"Oh, they're just giant, carnivorous sand-worms and lethal desert spiders. They taste better than the pills after you roast them over an open fire. Of course, hunting those things down are a real chore, and you've got to make sure that you remove the acid and venom sacs or they'll burn right through your stomach, liver, pancreas and other vital organs."

After hearing that tidbit, the Mejele woman became even more nauseated. Suddenly, the pills didn't seem so bad.

* * *

Engineering section

"What the _HELL_ are you doing?!" Chief Engineer Willard Zona exclaimed as the newest addition to his engineering staff began hooking up some circuit boards to the environmental controls. He was a stocky, but solid man with some gray around his temples, which complemented his brown hair.

The person in question, was Engineer Class A Siloma Ianesk, who happened to be the youngest of Aika's former crew aboard the Crimson Twilight. She had long, purple-dyed hair that was tied up in twin braids. She looked to be around 16 or 17 and had a very petite figure. She smiled innocently at her new superior and replied, "Well I just did a few modifications to the ventilation and atmospheric systems. Now I've got them working at 110 percent efficiency!"

"You did?" Willard said in surprise. "Well, that's good but you really should have consulted with me first."

The cheerful girl shrugged and replied, "Well, I wanted to make a good impression with you since we're all going to be working on this ship, right? And not only did I improve airflow and quality, but I also added a floral scent dispenser so it'll smell better too!"

"Huh?"

At that moment, several of the engineering staff began choking and hacking as a strange pink mist began flooding through several of the vents in the engineering section. Many of them cried out in pain as the cloud began making their eyes water.

"_ARRRGGGHH! IT BURNS! IT BURNS!_"

"_GREAT GRAND PA, WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!_"

"_MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!_"

Willard immediately ran toward the control panel, and rerouted whatever was being pumped into the section to the waste-disposal incinerator. The mist was quickly sucked up, which allowed the men to breathe normally again.

Siloma also went to the console to check on the data, and eeped in embarrassment. She then turned with a sheepish expression and her head bowed down. "Oops. I must have accidentally connected the floral scent dispenser to the gas emitter that the ship's inner defense system uses in case of enemy boarding. We ended up with a rose-scented form of tear gas."

As some members of the engineering sections went to help their comrades to the Sick Bay, the Chief Engineer looked down at his new subordinate in silence. His hands clenched and unclenched continuously at his sides as he repeated in his mind the same phrase over and over.

'_Don't strangle her now! Wait until after the war, then strangle her! Don't strangle her now! Wait until after the war, then strangle her! Don't_'

* * *

The Captain's Office

Jensen shook his head while pinching the bridge of his nose. He had just read the latest reports and complaints by the crew.

'_It's not even 0630 hours and half my crew is already threatening to mutiny! This going to be one _LONG_ month!_'

He continued to ponder over the list of complaints when he heard the beep at the his office door.

"Come in."

The door hissed in and Jensen looked up and smiled as he saw the leader of the Vanguard squadron enter his office.

Hikar Fulson AKA Old Gun, was the oldest member of the Fire Heart's crew at 62 years. He was a big man of 6' 4" and had a scruffy, gray beard. He had a jagged scar that ran from the upper left temple to the lower right side of his jaw. He was a hard drinker and wasn't very sociable, but there was no mistaking his genius when it came to piloting a Vanguard. He had the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, and though he had been offered to be promoted to his own command several times in the past, he had always turned it down. He was the kind of person who preferred a hands-on approach. He liked being in the thick of battle and when it came to whipping new recruits into shape and making them into top-notch Van-Type fighters, he was the best there was. His long years and many tours of duty on several other vessels had made him indispensable to Jensen, whenever he needed advice or a sympathetic ear. In fact, Old Gun was the first officer Jensen had served under during his academy days and Vanguard training. Hikar was about the closest thing Jensen had for a father figure. His Prime had died just after he had completed his Spirit Trial and he never knew who his Second was. It had taken a lot string-pulling to get the Old Gun and his squadron to be assigned to the Fire Heart.

"It's good to see you right now, Sergeant Fulson."

The veteran waved a hand while shaking his head. "Aw Captain, you know that you can call me Hikar or Old Gun when we're alone."

"Well, just so long as you can drop the 'captain' part and call me Jensen." He looked back down at the list in his hands and sighed.

The Vanguard squadron leader noted what was in his superior's hands and nodded. "We sure took on a handful of Hell, now didn't we?"

"Tell me about it." He gestured to a few items on the list of complaints. "I've had requests for extra food rations, (no pills mind you), more cleaning supplies, longer shower times, installing bidets in the bathrooms whatever those things are." He then took another tired sigh. "And that's only from the 12 women that just came on board today. My own crew is already up in arms about Mejele women being assigned to Tarak ships. Some are crying out that women are TRULY monsters, and that they should suck out our innards and get it over with, instead of torturing us with their strange habits. And then there was that incident in Engineering"

"Yeah, I went down there a while ago. Though I got to admit, I don't remember Willard or the others smelling THAT nice."

"Well, to be honest, it was a nice change from their usual body odors. I can't recall when the Engineering Staff didn't smell like lubricants, grease, fuel, and solvents. Still, that new recruit did overstep her bounds. She should have consulted with the Chief Engineer before attempting that modification. In fact, so far both sides are nowhere close to any kind of agreement or compromise, much less the kind of cooperation we need to defeat the Radam. I'm beginning to wonder if volunteering the Fire Heart for this co-gender fleet was a good idea. Heck, I'm starting to wonder if men and women can even work together."

"It's possible Jensen. Look at the Nirvana. Besides, building trust and understanding takes time. You can't expect people to change attitudes overnight. Look at me, yourself and the crew."

"Huh?"

"Whenever I get new blood, there's _ALWAYS_ going to be head-butting. Can't avoid it. But once I get myself and them to the same level, then we start building a base to work with. You're no different. You've looked all over the fleet for the right crew for the Fire Heart. And let me tell you something. I have never seen a more mismatched group of dropouts, rejects, criminals and misfits than what's on the ship today. There were some that I thought you were crazy to bring aboard. But somehow, you found a way to make them all work like a real crew. And because of that, the crew trusts your judgment. They may gripe and growl at times, but they know deep down that you always have their well-being in mind."

Jensen smiled as he considered the words of the old warhorse, then stood up. "Thanks Old Gun. I needed that."

"Aw shoot. You would've figured it all out yourself."

"Yes, well we've still got a lot of work ahead of us."

"Since when has it ever been easy for us?"

* * *

Later

Siloma Ianesk stood uneasily in front of the captain's desk as she was unable to fully meet the penetrating gazes of her new superior and his First Officer. Jensen's stern expression made her want to find the nearest rock and crawl under it. Standing beside him, Aika had her arms crossed while giving the young engineer her own look of disapproval.

Though Aika didn't like the idea of punishing her own crewmember, she had to agree that what her subordinate did had violated certain protocols and that she would have to be reprimanded.

"Judging by your expression, I will assume you know why you were called here before the general crew briefings, Engineer Class A Ianesk." Jensen said in a firm tone.

"Yes sir." Siloma replied in a near-whisper. "I goofed."

"Saying that you goofed is a mild way to admitting that you almost committed involuntary manslaughter. That's not exactly an ideal way to begin relations with your fellow crewmates."

Jensen's words cut the young engineer to the quick, making her flinch. Aika immediately came to her defense.

"Now I wouldn't go _THAT_ far. True, she caused some discomfort and disrupted the operations down in Engineering"

"_I WOULD GO THAT FAR AND EVEN FURTHER!_" The captain said, cutting his First Officer off. "She could have caused the vents to release something far more lethal than tear gas. We were fortunate that they didn't emit any mustard, cyanide or nerve agents! Take my word, that self-defense system can be quite deadly if it thinks that the ship had been taken over by a hostile boarding party." He then turned his attention back to the young girl. "I can understand your desire to want to make a good first impression, but tampering with something that you had no business with is not the way to go. My crew is already on edge and I _DON'T_ need anyone else adding fuel to the fire. Therefore, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to make an example out of you." He took a deep breath. "Engineer Class A, Siloma Ianesk, you are hereby confined to quarters following the general crew briefing. You are to serve directly under our Chief Engineer and will only be allowed out of your quarters to perform your duties. All privileges are to be denied, and you will be regulated to mess and latrine work detail indefinitely, until I see fit to end your punishment. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

The young girl bowed her head and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

She then turned about and walked out his office in a dejected manner.

Aika gazed upon her new superior with a look of disapproval, but Jensen gave her a look that brooked no argument.

* * *

Much later

Jensen sighed in his quarters as he laid down on his bunk. It had been a tiring first day, and he needed to get some sleep. The general briefing had been rocky, but eventually, the all-male crew had calmed down and accepted the fact that the women were aboard for the duration. He could only imagine how things were going on the other Tarak vessels that had women assigned to them. So far, he hadn't heard of any incidences of violence and such, so for now, things were tentatively going all right.

At first, several of the Fire Heart's crew were surprised that Jensen had not expelled the women after the air-vent fiasco. Then the captain reminded them of several incidences in which new recruits had caused havoc among the crew, only to show their true skills and abilities when the crew needed them the most. He had given those misfits and dropouts a second chance, and so he would do the same for the women.

He could only hope that he would be correct in this case as well.

As he began to fall asleep, his last thoughts were

'_How in Grand Pa's name did they do it on the Nirvana? How could they get used to all those women and those strange ideas of theirs?_'

* * *

In the Captain's Quarters on the Nirvana

Jura smiled as she admired herself in the mirror. The garb she was presently wearing was a far cry from the revealing clothes she normally dressed in. In fact, the attire revealed practically nothing at all, but she still felt beautiful and elegant.

The blonde was dressed in a light green, robe-like garment that was made of the finest silk and the waist had a wide, red band, tied at the back in a bow. The outfit had flaring sleeves and on her feet were simple, sandals. Her long hair was fashioned in a geisha-style, and held in place by decorative pins. However, since her hair was so long, much of it that couldn't be tied up flowed down her back. This only enhanced her elegant appearance as she did a small pirouette and smiled at her reflection. She then turned to the aged woman who had helped her into the outfit and done her hair.

"So you call this a kimono?"

Vivian Magno, formally Nodoka Tensuke, nodded and replied. "Yes. It's a copy of the one I wore in my younger days, almost a lifetime ago. I must say, you look very stunning in it."

"Yes! I love it!" Jura said with glee. "Do you think Slade will like it?"

"Well I can't really say if he'll like it." Magno admitted. "I haven't seen my son in well over five hundred and sixty-three years, but I think you look lovely in it. I believe he would approve, especially since it's a nice change from the clothes you usually wear,."

"I can't wait to show him!"

The pirate captain smiled. How manly her son had become to be the apple of so many girls' eyes. Dita, Meia and now Jura had been approaching her with questions about her son and other more intimate details. And though the men and women were now on full combat production and military integration, she still hoped that her son would get together with at least one of those girls, or even better, all of them. Then she considered the fact that it had been well over half a millennium. It was high time he finally gave her some grandchildren.

* * *

Speaking of the other girls

Dita smiled as she followed the recipe that Magno had written out for her. It had been very difficult to get the ingredients needed for this ancient Japanese dish, but she was certain that Mr. Alien no, Slade would like it. The Captain had told her that the way to a man's heart was often through his stomach and she knew for a fact that the White Tekkaman loved good cooking. And since Meia and Jura's culinary skills were no where near hers, she was certain that she would be able to get him first. After all, Jura didn't cook that often, (mostly leaving it to Barnette), while Meia's ability didn't go much further than heating up a rations pack.

Dita sample the food she was preparing in the wok and nodded at the taste. She then started adding a dash of soy sauce.

* * *

And in the former Dread Leader's quarters

"How to build interpersonal relationships with members of the opposite sex." Meia read out loud as she perused the battered old book in her hands, while sitting on her bed. The volume had been lent to her by the captain after the headstrong girl had come into her quarters with a very personal request

* * *

Flashback

"Captain, are you busy?" Meia asked as she entered the captain's quarters.

Magno shook her head as she was sitting at her desk. She gestured for her visitor to sit down at a chair opposite to her. "Not at all Meia. What can I do for you?"

The short-haired girl swallowed a bit as she took a seat, then became somewhat edgy. "Uhm well, I sort have a question to ask of you. About your son. About Slade."

The hundred-plus nodded as she had been half-expecting something like this would happen eventually. "And what would you like to know about him?"

"Ah well, it's just that I mean, I've worked I mean, the _CREW_ has worked with him for over a year now and I I mean, _WE_ all respect him for what he's done for me I mean, for all of _US_ and well. I I mean"

Magno held up a palm, causing her to stop in her rambling. She then gave the distraught girl a look of understanding. "Meia, please. Speak for YOURSELF. If you have something to say about my son and how it relates to _YOU_, then do so. Don't beat around the bush."

"What?"

"Sorry. That's an old Earth expression. What I mean is, please tell me what's on YOUR mind. Quit all of this hemming and hawing. Out with it already!"

"Well I want to ask you"

"Ask me what?"

"I want to ask you how to talk to a man."

"How to talk to a man? I would think by now, you'd have had enough practice with talking to men."

Meia shook her head while waving her hands frantically in front of her. "No! Not talking to them like that! I mean, speaking to Bart and Duero like fellow crewmembers is not what I meant! What I mean is, how women acted with men when they uhm ah"

Slade's mother smiled at the girl's flustering. It was obvious that she didn't have any experience when it came to close personal relationships with others. "I see. Well, I am a bit out of practice when it comes to dealing with men on THAT level. However, I haven't forgotten totally and I suppose I can give you some pointers. However, I must admit that I am surprised that you would even ask for such a thing. No offense Meia, but your interactions with even the female members of our crew has been regarded by many as a bit on the stiff side."

"Really?"

"Yes, well as I said before no offense intended, but I have noticed that you are not exactly what one would call sociable. You tend to keep your emotions bottled up and you don't take into consideration of the emotions of others. That's one of the key elements when trying to establish a more personal and if I may be so bold, INTIMATE connections toward another. That becomes especially important when dealing with the opposite sex." Nodoka's smiled became even more pronounced when Meia's cheek blushed furiously. "However, I find this change in you to be most welcome and refreshing. It's good to see you actually opening up, and I have a feeling that my son had a lot to do with that."

"Yes." Meia admitted quietly. "That's why I made a decision."

"And what decision is that?"

Meia swallowed especially hard, then took a deep breath. She promptly stood up, walked around the desk and kneeled in front of her captain, while bowing her head. She then said in a quiet whisper, "Captain I would like your permission to start a family with your son, Slade!"

Magno swelled up with pride at the admission, then bid the girl to rise. She took her hands in hers and gave her a warm expression. "Ah Meia, as much as I'd like to give you that permission, it is not mine to give. Slade has not been my son for over half a millennium and you are not the first girl to ask me for his heart. All that I can give you is my approval and blessing to your desire to have him. However, there are others who are after the same goal, so you will have to work in order to win him. I bid you good luck in your venture and with some advice. A smile can work _WONDERS_."

She then handed the girl an old battered book from a drawer in her desk.

* * *

End of Flashback

Meia then read out loud the next passage in the book.

"First impressions can often be the most important factor when developing a relationship. A smile can be the strongest message without using words, provided that it is done with sincerity and from the heart."

Meia then looked at herself in her bathroom mirror and tried a smile. She then realized that it was forced and didn't seem sincere. She then took on a determined expression and vowed to get the perfect smile. (2)

* * *

As for Slade, who happened to be working out in the Nirvana's gym, he suddenly got a cold shiver down his spine.

He didn't know why, but he suddenly got the willies and an overwhelming desire to hide

To be continued

**Author's Notes **

Well, it's been some time since I updated, so for the next two to three chapters, I'm going to delve even deeper into the male/female relationships with some humor thrown in as Mejele and Tarak begin to find their roots on living together while preparing for the Radam onslaught. As for what's happening on the Fire Heart, I decided to reverse roles than what happened on the Nirvana with a nearly all-male crew and a few females. As for the development between Slade and the girls, well wait and see.

Tekkadread the Second Stage will end on Chapter 15, but with several parts per chapter, so we've still got a ways to go.

(1) ITSF stands for Imperial Tarak Space Force. The number indicates the series, while D stands for destroyer. Jensen's current ship has the registry of ITSF-978CC Fire Heart, with CC meaning Cruiser-Carrier.

(2) I got inspired at this idea after watching an episode of Maburaho when the tough sword girl Rin tried to make herself smile in order to impress Kazuki's parents. I thought this would fit Meia as well. 


	29. Chapter 12, Part 2: Learning Curve

**Tekkadread the Second Stage **

Disclaimer: Please don't make me do this again! I don't wanna tell people that these characters don't belong to me and I'm only writing this story for my own enjoyment.

' ' Thoughts

**Chapter 12 **

**Part 2 **

**Learning Curve **

Xian Pu and Ukyo were sweating hard as they continued to run laps with the rest of the Warrior Squadron. Running ahead of their group were the members of the Brawler Brigade, and trailing behind Slade's pilots were several women who had passed the basic aptitude and physical exams for Vanguard duty. Both girls had to admit that the men from Tarak were in very good shape. In fact, this was their thirty-fifth lap around a 400 meter track and not one of them was out of breath or had slowed in his pace. They were all in the training facility on one of the Sentinel Satellites. The men were dressed in plain black shorts, white T-shirts and simple running shoes. The women were clad in a variety of exercise clothes, which ranged from shorts, tank tops, long skirts, leotards and designer sweat suits and footwear, though some were ill-suited for intense workouts and were more for show than practical. Some girls did not want to ruin their nice clothes with sweat and lagged far behind the rest of the trainees. Only the Vanguard pilots from the Nirvana were conservatively dressed in modest but functional workout bodysuits and running shoes.

When it was decided to merge the military personnel of both the female and male planets, Slade's Warrior Squadron was paired up with the elite of the Vanguard fighters, along with several dozen new female recruits. The idea was for them to train together and exchange tactics and technology for the eventual Radam invasion. And for those women who still clung to the belief that men were inferior, they soon learned that what the males lacked in elegance and grace, they more than made up for it in brute force and drive. The Mejele officers also found out that living with the comforts of technology had its downside as they started to struggle and strain to keep up with them.

At the starting point/finish line, Hikar Fulson AKA Old Gun nodded as he watched his team and the girls from the pirate vessel maintain a good pace. In his hand was a stopwatch, and beside him was an aide with short, blonde hair, standing next to a table with several plastic cups and two pitchers; one was colored white, while the other was black. He looked back down at the time on the watch and nodded again. He had to admit that Slade had done a decent job in training those girls in strength and endurance. On Tarak, they would be considered as passable rookies in the Vanguard Fleet. And for the Old Gun to give even _THAT_ much praise said a lot, considering his harsh and sometimes insane training methods.

And speaking of which, the Old Gun decided to give the stragglers some incentive to pick up their pace. As the first of the Brawler Brigade rounded the last corner of the track, he called out to the runners.

"All right. Time for a water break! Don't slow down, and drink as you go!"

There were cheers from several of the runners as they came up to the table where the aide handed out small cups of refreshment. As each person passed by him, he or she would down the entire contents of the cup while still running, then drop the empty container into a nearby bin as he or she continued down the track.

However, just as the Warrior Squadron passed by and had gotten their drinks, Hikar gave a nod to his aide. The young man gulped as he put down the white pitcher he was pouring from and switched to the black-colored one. When the one of the slowest of the recruits reached him, he poured out not water, but a green-colored liquid. When the young woman, a corporal with short black hair, took a sip, she immediately made a retching noise and fell to her knees. The three girls behind her also dropped to the floor in agony.

"_AAAAAAGGGHHH!_"

"_YUCK! WHAT IS THAT STUFF?!_"

"_GREAT GRANDMA! MY MOUTH IS ON FIRE!_"

"_UGH! I'VE BEEN POISONED!_"

The other runners stopped when they heard the screams, then looked at Fulson. The grizzled veteran smirked as he proudly held up a cup filled with that same questionable liquid. His expression became devilish as he explained what was going on.

"From now on, anybody who doesn't complete a lap within 60 seconds will drink this!" He started to pour some of it onto the floor, and several people noticed that the liquid was quick thick and had an odd sheen to it. He then drank the rest of the cup's contents with gusto, wiping his mouth with free hand afterwards. "Mmmmmm! Nothing like one of my special mixes to get you going!" (1)

At that moment, the entire Brawler Brigade let off a collective gasp of horror, then starting running at a frantic pace.

"_OH NO! HE'S MADE ONE OF HIS SPECIALS AGAIN!_"

"_I'M NOT DRINKING THAT SLUDGE!_"

"_I STILL CAN'T GET THE TASTE OUT MY MOUTH FROM THE LAST TIME!_"

"_OUT OF MY WAY!_"

The Warrior Squadron also got the message and started to run harder. The girls behind them who had not gotten a taste of Hikar's concoction began to speed up as well. Ukyo and Xian Pu led their team closer to the Fire Heart's Vanguard pilots. When they were running side-by-side with a slender, blue-haired man, they began to ask him questions.

"What's this all about?" Ukyo the 17th asked.

The young man, who was named Gin Zerga and happened to be the Brawler Brigade's Medic, nodded as he tried to pick up his pace. "It's one of the ways Old Gun gets us to train harder! I wouldn't slow down if I were you!"

"What is in that drink?" Xian Pu inquired.

"I don't know and I don't _WANT_ to know!" Gin said as he pulled ahead of them slightly. "That stuff always defies the chemical analyzer in the Sick Bay! As far as I know, only Old Gun is able drink it and he's always making new concoctions! Last time we used that stuff to fuel the Vanguards!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Ukyo exclaimed.

"Do I _LOOK_ like I'm kidding?!" The young medic exclaimed as he put on a burst of speed and pulled ahead of them to rejoin his teammates.

Back at the starting line, Old Gun smiled as all the runners increased their paces. The longer they ran, the more victims he would have.

* * *

A few laps later

"_YUCK! IT'S SO SPICY!_"

"_I'M NOT FEELING WELL!_"

"_AND I THOUGHT THOSE PILLS TASTED TERRIBLE!_"

"_HOW CAN THAT OLD MAN DRINK THAT STUFF WITHOUT THROWING UP?!_"

"_BLAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!_"

At this point, just about all the new female recruits had gotten a taste of Hikar's Special Drink and were sprawled on the floor. The only ones that were still running and making the 60 second time limit were the members of Old Gun's Unit and Slade's Warrior Squadron. By this time, they were on lap number fifty.

As they ran, the girls had gotten to know some facts about the members of the Brawler Brigade. They had to admit that they were a somewhat odd bunch.

Running near the head of his group was the Brawler Brigade's second-in-command, Sergeant Sosike Tamar. He had been previously a captain and had a promising military career. That is, until he refused to follow an order to abandon his unit during a botched covert operation. Instead he risked his life to save his fellow soldiers and still completed the mission objective. However, his disobedience had ruffled the feathers of some of the more pompous and self-serving members of the higher brass. In order to save face, they had him demoted and sent to serve on a lowly refuse freighter. He would have been doomed to remain at his dead-end position until Jensen Dar and Old Gun found him and recruited him to serve on the Fire Heart.

Running slightly behind Tamar was the Brawler Brigade's demolitions and explosive expert, Corporal Zet Finnar. He had sandy red hair was about an inch shorter that Sosike, though his build was similar to his superior. What set him apart from was his teammates was that he was a former arsonist and bomber. He was a master at making things explode, even with the most mundane and ordinary of objects. Jensen had found him serving time at one of the more hardcore prisons, but was impressed with his ingenuity at making and disarming bombs and how to use them to maximum effect. In fact, his Vanguard was loaded with various explosives and all kinds of ordinance. His squadron knew that if Finnar ever fell in battle, it was for certain that he would go out in one massive blast. That was the main reason why he was given the nickname Boomer.

Running behind him was the man who had talked to Ukyo and Xian Pu. Gin Zerga was a skilled medic and a dedicated pacifist. He didn't believe in fighting period. In fact, he refused to arm his Vanguard with any kind of offensive weapons whatsoever. Many thought that he was some kind of oddball to choose to be assigned to the most battle-hardened mecha squadron in the Tarak space fleet. However, those who truly knew him were well-aware of his hidden strengths, and his comrades in the Brawlers were thankful that he was always looking out for their safety and health.

Another notable member of Old Gun's Unit was a man named Kir Lesat. He was a meek-looking individual with short blonde hair and wiry build. He was a somewhat shy individual who appeared to be always unsure and nervous. However, that all changed when it was discovered that he had outstanding piloting skills and his personality did a complete 180-degree turn. Once he was in a Vanguard, he became a completely different person, (like Jekyll and Hyde, and any enemy that appeared in front of his gun sights was blown to pieces before he knew what hit him. Kir becomes more aggressive and his teammates normally give him a wide berth when in battle. The psychiatrists in the Tarak military called him a schizophrenic, and labeled him as unfit for combat duty, for fear of endangering fellow soldiers while engaging the enemy. However, this did not stop Old Gun or Jensen from recognizing Kir's innate talents and immediately signed him on.

As the remaining runners completed another lap, the Old Gun decided to give them an incentive to give it their all. He took the black pitcher from his aide and called out to them.

"_THIS IS THE FINAL LAP! THE LAST PERSON TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE DRINKS THE REST OF THIS!_"

The members of both the Warrior Squadron and the Brawler Brigade took one look at the pitcher and everyone made a mad dash around the track to keep from finishing last. Everyone started pushing and shoving to try and get ahead. As they neared the finish line, they were so tightly bunched together that it would only take a single misstep to cause all the runners to trip up. By a miracle, everyone managed to cross the finish line at the same time. After completing the run, they all dropped to the floor in complete exhaustion, especially the women.

Old Gun smirked.

'_Works every time._'

Both Ukyo and Xian Pu were sprawled on the floor as they panted heavily. The two girls were drenched in sweat after completing what was equivalent to sprinting through a ten kilometer run multiple times.

"And (huff) I thought (whew) Slade's training (puff) sessions (huff) were tough!" The Amazon pilot remarked as she tried to pick herself up.

"_ALL RIGHT YOU SCUMBAGS!_" Old Gun bellowed. "_GET YOUR BUTTS OFF THE FLOOR! WE'RE GONNA DO THE EXECUTIONER COURSE TODAY! ANYBODY WHO'S NOT ON HIS OR HER FEET IN TWO SECONDS, I'M GONNA SHOVE MY SPECIAL MIX DOWN THEIR THROATS AND MAKE 'EM DO PUSHUPS UNTIL THEY PUKE!_"

The two eeped as they found the strength to stand up in an instant.

* * *

The Warrior Squadron were not the only women who were getting a harsh lesson on the ways of Tarak. The females that had been assigned to the Fire Heart were getting first-hand experience on the Spartan lifestyle of the men and many came to realize just how much of the simplest of necessities were wasted on Mejele, due to their less-conservative manner of living.

* * *

The Quartermaster Section

"Request denied." The officer said as he looked at the girl, after she had asked for an extra roll of toilet paper.

"What do you mean? I really need an extra roll! I only have about half a roll left!" Shenia Acron pleaded.

"I said request denied." The officer maintained. "All crewmembers were already given their regular allotment for this renewal period. Are you telling me that you used up nearly two rolls of toilet paper in one week?"

Shenia's cheeks reddened as she didn't want to tell him as to the reason why she had used up so much of it in such a short amount of time. The rolls were small and didn't hold as many sheets as she'd prefer. Unlike the men, females had certain other bodily functions to take care of and she had to use up a good amount of the precious material. (2) Furthermore, considering that she had grown up using a bidet, she was unused to cleaning off her backside with her hands, and had used more than the recommended three squares per day, a _LOT_ more.

However, as much as she needed another roll, the officer remained firm and denied her request. After another five minutes of arguing, Shenia left the Quartermaster Section in a huff and walked back toward her room. As she silently brooded, she passed by a certain officer's quarters.

"Hey!"

Shenia stopped when she heard the voice and turned toward the person who had called out to her. Her scowl became a bit more pronounced as she recognized Carden Zemer as he leaned against the side of the doorway to his living space. His arms were casually folded across his chest and he had a bit of a whimsical expression on his face.

"What?" The agitated female asked as she was in a very sour mood.

Carden shrugged his shoulders and said in a matter-of-factly tone, "I'm guessing that Sergeant Cutzer said no about giving you more toilet paper, right? He's a real miser when it comes to re-supplying our necessities. I told you not to use more than three or four squares a day."

"What would you know?!" She immediately stopped herself from saying something embarrassing. "_THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!_"

The man gave her a smug expression then held up a hand, motioning her to wait. He went into his quarters and walked over to his closet. A few moments later, two white, cylindrical objects came flying out his doorway toward her.

"Here! Catch!"

Shenia was almost hit in the face as she barely managed to catch the two rolls of toilet paper. She looked at the unexpected gifts, and gave the returning officer a confused stare.

Carden went back to leaning against his doorway. "That should hold you until the next re-supply period."

"I don't need your charity!" Shenia said in anger and was about throw the two rolls back at his face.

"Who said anything about charity?" Carden remarked. "I expect to you to pay me back for those two rolls, with interest. Of course, considering that I've got more than fifty rolls myself, I don't really NEED to be paid back."

"What?"

Carden gestured for the confused female to follow him into his quarters. Like all men of Tarak, his room was simple and utilitarian, with very little personal effects. He then opened his closet and above his spare uniforms and other clothing was an upper shelf that was loaded with rolls of toilet paper. There was enough to last him for years without being re-supplied.

Shenia stared at the shelf in silence, then looked down at the two rolls in her hands. Then her temper started to flare again as she jumped to a conclusion.

"So that's it?! The men get all the supplies while the women are given next to nothing?!"

The tall man gave her a glare, immediately silencing her. Then he sighed as he explained. "You don't get it, do you? Let me set things straight for you. The reason why I got so much is because I know how to _SAVE_ and stretch things. What you're seeing here is the result of three years of being thrifty. Just about every man on Tarak has to learn not to use more than necessary because there isn't too much to go around. Go to any man's quarters and you'll find the same thing; like extra rolls, some buckets of water for emergencies, hidden pill rations, spare towels, etc. Whatever we don't use, we hoard. Little by little, it adds up and even though we're supplied on a regular basis, we _ALWAYS_ keep whatever's leftover, in case of shortages, or when one of our crewmates need it, like _YOU_."

Shenia was taken aback by these words and became speechless. So he wasn't just giving away the rolls to be condescending? Carden nodded at her reaction and continued.

"From what I heard, people on Mejele don't save much and waste a lot of energy and stuff for really _STUPID_ reasons. I heard that the Captain of the Nirvana lost her home because some idiots drained her apartment's power for something useless. On Tarak, we would have thrown people like that into prison for wasting that much energy."

"Really?"

"That's right. If you want some extra water rations, go to the Engineering Section. Those guys always have a few extra gallons they can spare. If you need more toothpaste or soap, then try the Weapons Department. The Mess Hall is the best place to get spare cleaning supplies and rags. You want more food? Go to the Navigation Section. I'm pretty sure those guys won't mind parting with a few ration packs."

"How do you know all this?"

"_EVERYBODY_ on the Fire Heart knows this, even that miser in the Quartermaster Section. Captain Dar set this system up so that none of the crew ever goes without the necessities. That Quartermaster Sergeant is stingy for a reason. He knows that anyone can get spare supplies from the other crewmembers, so he doesn't have to keep on giving out whatever limited stores he has. That way, we'll always have an extra store of necessities. We look to our own on this ship, and you'd best learn to save more and spend less."

* * *

The Captain's Office

"You set up this system?" Aika Shan asked. She had been going over some initial plans on how to deal with the impending Radam offensive. She, like Shenia, had learned of the mutual sharing of necessities and supplies between crewmembers.

Jensen nodded as he looked over a proposed flight pattern to be used against the Spider-Crabs. "Early on, I found out that the upper brass were too slow and full of themselves to provide our ships and crews with even the minimum amounts of food and supplies. So I encouraged my men to save and store whatever food and materials that they can and promoted sharing among the crew. Not only does it ease up demands on the Quartermaster Section, but it also promotes trust and cooperation among the crewmembers. And so far, it's been working and the Fire Heart is among the most efficiently-run vessels in the fleet."

"I have to admit that is very ingenious." Aika said with a bit of admiration in her tone, (though she didn't want to admit such a thing about a man). "I imagine this system would keep costs down."

"That's right. Our ship may not be as pretty as those from Mejele, but we don't care much about looks and competing against each other for some frivolous reason only wastes resources on both sides."

Aika felt a bit of twinge of anger at the implied statement, but she couldn't help but agree that the people on Mejele had been generally very wasteful with their resources. If they hadn't squandered so much, then perhaps they could have lasted longer against the Radam. And the more she thought about it, the more she had to admit that the men of Tarak knew how to make the most of what little they had. It seemed that the lack of technology and the comforts it afforded had made the males more sensible and efficient.

However, this bare bones, no-nonsense approach to running things also left next to nothing for pleasure. For the men, it was work, work, and work with very little time spared for recreation. Granted she had only been on the Fire Heart for a week and had never been down on the planet and visited one of their cities, but she couldn't imagine going through life without have some kind of fun. It was if the men toiled away from the time they were born, to the time they took their final breaths. She had heard that the citizens of Tarak did engage in the occasional celebration, but even they themselves admitted that such events weren't considered as enjoyable.

To live an efficient but dreary life, or waste precious resources while enjoying oneself. Aika began to wonder if there was some level in which one could find a balance between the two. Or was it even possible to find such a life on the world called Tarak?

* * *

On the planet's surface

Barnette and Parfet looked around in awe as they rode in a transport with Duero. The vehicle was boxlike and was approximately the size of a 20th century compact car. However, instead of moving about on wheels, the machine actually rode on an antigravity field and traveled at a height of 36 inches above the ground. Ion thrusters in the rear provided forward momentum, while directional manipulators on the sides and front handled turning and stopping. The top was down and the two females took in the sights and sounds of one of the larger cities on the all-male world.

Like all the other population centers, the city was built within one of the many huge crevasses that dotted the surface of the planet. Since water, minerals and several key ores tended to be found in large quantities within them, it made sense for the men to build their cities near these resources. Furthermore, their locations also afforded natural protection against the elements, such as violent windstorms and the harsh rays of the Tarak sun.

The two women from the Nirvana were quite amazed at how different Tarak was in comparison to Mejele. They were used to seeing gleaming towers, bright colors, and displays. The city they were seeing now was rougher, and more harsh-looking. There were no gardens or parks. In fact, everything they saw seemed to be geared toward one theme, industry. Just about everywhere they looked there were factories and assembly plants. They were of course utility, waste management, commercial goods, financial and food production facilities, but the majority of those industrial units were centered on building weapons and space vessels. At this point, it was a good thing, since the planet was on full-scale military production in preparation for the inevitable Radam assault that would occur in less than a month. Duero had given the girls a short tour of one of the facilities and Parfet had to give men credit. When it came to mass production, they knew how churn things out in a hurry. There was barely any waste at all and their efficiency put even Gascogne's Support Team to shame.

As they drove toward the outer limits of the city, Duero thought back to the reason why he was heading out into the untamed Tarak wilderness

* * *

Flashback

The Nirvana's physician stood in front of the desk of a high-ranking official and his aide. The doctor noted the man's rank to be that of a colonel and mentally hoped that he wouldn't try to coerce him into fighting against the women due to his power as a Tekkaman.

Fortunately, that was not the case as the officer told him of the reason why he had sent for him.

Duero blinked in surprise after being informed.

"Let me see if I understand correctly. You want me to go out into the Badlands and find _HIM_?"

The colonel nodded as he handed Duero a folder with some files. "That's right. You would be the most logical person to ask to locate that man. We've sent some of our best operatives, but we haven't been able to contact him or even determine his current whereabouts since he left the service three years ago."

"There's a reason why he quit the military." Duero stressed.

"Yes, we're well aware of his current disposition toward the military and we have everything on file. However, we desperately need him. There are no others who could match his skills and expertise. With the coming war with the Radam, we will require experts in sniping, guerilla tactics and survival techniques. He was the best in those fields and would be the ideal instructor. Even though we are strengthening our orbital defenses and space fleets, we expect some very intense ground warfare and we need to prepare."

Duero nodded in agreement at the assessment, then said, "Assuming if and I mean _IF_ I do find him, there's no guarantee that he'll agree to come back, even with me asking him. I haven't seen him in well over two years, including the time I spent on the Nirvana."

"We have no other option. We need him to train new recruits and lead some of our ground forces. I will personally guarantee a full upgrade to First-Class citizenship for him."

"You should know that he doesn't care for that. The only reason why he trained me to undergo the Spirit Trial was for my well-being."

"Still, Grand Pa himself has promised to give him a _FULL PARDON_ for all of his past violations. You will bring him back?"

"Is this a direct order?"

"No. This is not an order. This is a personal favor being asked by Grand Pa."

"I see" Duero owed a debt to Grand Pa, due to his orders to his commanders to leave the good doctor alone and not try to turn him into a weapon against the Mejele military. "Very well. I will try to find him and convince him that his cooperation is required to defeat the Radam. However, I make no promises as to whether he will agree. Nor do I make any guarantees that he will remain with the military after the war."

"Fair enough. May Grand Pa watch over you on your journey."

* * *

End of flashback

"So where are we going?"

Barnette's question brought Duero's thoughts out of his reverie as he looked over his shoulder and answered her.

"We're heading out into place called the Badlands. It's a very unpleasant and hostile area and you two don't have to come with me."

"It's okay! We don't mind!" Parfet said. "It's not too dangerous is it?"

"I don't expect any trouble."

"Then it's all right. So why are you going to a place like that?"

"I have to find someone."

"Who?" Barnette inquired.

"Tensen Mcfile. My Prime, or in Mejele terms he was my Ohma. In other words my father."

* * *

Some time later

The small hover transport was gliding easily over the hot, sandy and rocky landscape as it ventured further out in the Tarak wilderness. Even though they were protected by the roof of the vehicle and cooled by its air-conditioning system, the two females were awestruck by the heat and desolation of their surroundings. This was nothing like the lush green hills and forests of Mejele, before the Radam invasion. There were numerous formations of stone and very little vegetation. After having lived in crowded areas nearly all their lives, being in such open spaces was unknown to them. For as far as they could see, the untamed land stretched out before them in all of its near-barren glory.

Another hour later, Duero stopped the vehicle in front of an odd-shaped mesa. As the three disembarked, the good doctor motioned for them to follow him toward the face of what appeared to be a solid wall of rock. As they exposed themselves to the hot, dry heat of the planet, both women were thankful of the sun block they were wearing. Though the Tarak lotion was foul-smelling, it did its job of warding off a good amount of the sun's heat and rays, and kept them from getting sunburn. Both were also provided with thick-soled boots that were sized for their smaller feet, protecting them from the planet's scorching surface. Barnette was especially familiar with such precautions, ever since her experience from that other desert world.

"Follow me." Duero said as he walked toward the mesa wall.

Barnette was about to ask why he was walking into a wall, when he suddenly vanished from sight. Parfet took out a handheld scanner and adjusted its instruments. She let off a low whistle.

"Wow. A holographic camouflage screen with a false energy emitter. I wouldn't have caught it with a regular scan."

"So the wall's not real?"

"Nope. There's a tunnel, but no door. Then again, why bother having a door to an entrance that you'll never find?"

The taller brunette nodded as she stepped through the illusion and into a large, well-lit tunnel. She was closely followed by Parfet. Not seeing Duero anywhere, they assumed that he had gone ahead. They quickly made their way down the long corridor until they spotted a light at the end. When they came to it, they entered a large room which had various storage lockers and other containment vessels. At the center of the room was Duero, who was currently studying a computer interface screen that was built into a large table.

"Duero?" Parfet asked as she and Barnette approached him.

Without facing them, the physician acknowledged their presence with a nod and motioned them to join him. When they came up to the table, they saw a large map of the surrounding area being displayed and some data readouts appearing at the bottom of the screen. However, both girls showed looks of confusion since neither one could understand Tarakese.

'_Darn it! I left my Inter-Pricko on the Nirvana!_' Parfet swore-snapped her fingers as she had neglected to consider taking the device with her when she decided to go with Duero to his home planet.

Duero noted their puzzlement and explained while still keeping his eyes on the screen. "It's all right. I doubt even the best cryptologists on Tarak could decipher this script. It's not Tarakese, but an ancient language that my father discovered that had its origins on Old Earth. It's also been encoded in three different numerical patterns. The only people who could read this are himself and me. He taught it to me when I was six. According to these records, my Prime had replenished this secret supply station 4 months ago, though he hasn't been here since then."

"Supply station?" Barnette asked.

"That's right. My Prime, Tensen Mcfile, believed in always being prepared, and he had set up several hidden stockpiles of food, water, weapons, and other supplies in key areas in the Badlands. I was hoping he'd be here or had left a clue as to his whereabouts, but it looks like we're still going to have to keep on searching."

The physician turned off the monitor, then walked over to one of the storage lockers. Punching in a code on the door's keypad, he opened it up, reached inside and pulled out a familiar-looking weapon to Barnette.

"A Gladiator Mark II Assault Rifle?"

The healer nodded as he took out two more of the weapons, along with several bandoliers of ammo packs. He also opened up two more lockers and began rummaging about for water bottles, food packs, medical supplies and other necessities.

"What are you doing?" Parfet asked.

Duero stopped for minute and replied. "My Prime isn't here and my guess is that he's out further into the Badlands. That's _VERY_ dangerous Shelari territory."

"What?!" Barnette exclaimed. She still had some traumatic memories about being nearly devoured by those giant sandworms on that desert world Saber had trapped them on. She had no desire to go up against Tarak's versions of those horrors. Duero had described them as larger and fiercer, which made her shudder just imagining about them.

"What's a Shelari?" Parfet asked innocently.

Duero handed her one of the heavy rifles as he answered. "Something that I hope we don't encounter, but we'd best be prepared. I have an idea as to where my father might be."

"You do?" Barnette asked as she hefted the rifle and checked its magazine.

Duero nodded as he finished raiding the supply lockers. "It's about that time I think. He always goes there to commemorate the anniversary and he always takes the same path. If we go there, we're certain to meet up with him."

"Where?"

The good doctor's face took on a solemn expression. "Grand Pa's Pass."

"Isn't that the place that you had to go to, during your Spirit Trial?"

"That's right. Though my father never showed it on the outside, he was always very proud of the fact that I completed it in less time than all the other candidates. I still hold the record of 4 days, 9 hours and 53 minutes."

"Spirit Trial?" By this time, Parfet was both puzzled and annoyed that Duero and Barnette shared some knowledge between them and she did not.

Duero motioned for the pair to follow as he hefted two large packs full of supplies and ammunition. "I'll tell you about it on the way. Right now, we have to get going. Knowing my father, he's probably halfway there."

* * *

Another hour later

"You traveled all this way on foot? And you were only seven years old?" Pafet's eyes widened in amazement after Duero related the story of his Spirit Trial to her.

Duero nodded as he continued to drive the transport across the planet's desolate surface. "That's right. It took me over four days to cross a hundred miles. And let me tell you, it was the hardest thing I had ever done and it wasn't just the Shelari and the Sand Stalkers. There were other obstacles and "

His voice trailed off as he saw a small formation of rock in the distance and off to the right. He immediately turned the vehicle toward it and accelerated. Both girls were puzzled at the sudden silence and change in direction. They had assumed that they were going directly to Grand Pa's Pass to meet up with Duero's father.

When they arrived at the formation, Duero immediately got out and walked toward an recess on one side of it. He knelt down in front of what looked like the remains of a campfire. Reaching down, he picked up a small amount of ashes and tested the consistency between his fingers. The two females walked up behind him.

"Hmmm this fire was put out recently. I'd say four maybe five hours ago." He commented as he assessed the surrounding area.

"Your father was here?" Parfet asked.

"Definitely." He confirmed as he stood up, then gestured to a small mark in the side of the rock formation. "See that? I made that mark years ago during my Spirit Trial when I came to this place. My Prime is following my route to Grand Pa's Pass exactly. And I recognize the pattern he arranged his campfire with. It's the exact same one he taught to me. Which means, he's not too far off and"

Duero stopped in his explanation as he noticed someone approaching them. Barnette and Parfet also turned to meet the newcomer and were surprised to see that it was a child.

The boy looked to be about six or seven. He was dressed in a brown tunic with matching leggings and boots. Slung over his shoulder was a small pack and in one hand was a walking stick. His dark hair was tied back in a small ponytail. He was quite dirty and his clothes were tattered and worn. Duero estimated that the child had been spending a long time out in the desert. The boy looked up at the good doctor with curious brown eyes then looked over to his companions. His expression took on a confused look as he addressed Duero.

"Who are you? Are you here to help me on my Spirit Trial? You can't help me you know. I got to do this all by myself."

Duero nodded. "Yes, I'm quite aware of that. I did my Spirit Trial when I was your age. You're quite the young man to have made it this far. How long have you been out here?"

"About five days."

"What's your name, son?"

"My name's Kennen Cortan." He pointed at the two women. "Who are they? They're really funny-looking men."

"We're not men." Parfet said. "We're women."

"_WOMEN?!_" Kennan said in shock and took on a scared look. He started backing away while holding out his stick in defense. "_STAY AWAY! WOMEN ARE MONSTERS!_" He immediately turned about and began running away.

"_KENNAN! WAIT!_" Duero called out as he started to run after him. His compatriots followed.

"Nice going, Parfet! You just had to scare him like that!" Barnette chided her rival for Duero's affections.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think he'd run off!"

"He's a boy that's been raised to believe that women are monsters that suck out men's innards. He hasn't been taught anything else and he probably doesn't know that women now live with the men, since he's been out in the desert for days! Of course he'd be scared of us!"

The three chased after the boy across a very wide, sandy area. Duero immediately recognized some telltale sand dunes and cried out to the child.

"_KENNAN! WAIT! DON'T GO THERE! THAT'S A SHELARI_"

The sand in front of the boy's path suddenly exploded as a huge and ominous form burst upwards. Kennan stopped and tried to backpedal, but he tripped and fell backward. Towering above him was Tarak's most lethal predator.

The Shelari was gigantic, even by Tarak standards. The beast measured at least fifty feet in length, and had massive, armored plates around its head and upper body. Beady eyes locked onto the tender morsel in front of it. Its mandibles were like wicked scythes, and its jaws dripped with saliva and acid as it prepared to lunge at its diminutive prey.

Kennan screamed as he knew that this was the end.

At this point, a certain someone made a crystal appear in his hand as he shouted out.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

Duero was engulfed in a flash of light as his body became encased in near-impenetrable armor. In less than a heartbeat, Tekkaman Razor was between the Shelari and its prey. The boy looked up in awe as the armored warrior faced off against the most vicious beast on the planet.

The sandworm let off a howl as it lunged forward toward what appeared to be larger prey. However, to its surprise, the Tekkaman stood his ground and braced for impact. The worm's mandibles opened wide, intent on cutting Duero in two. The doctor in armor held out his arms and caught both mandibles in his hands, preventing them from closing. His superhuman strength was far more than the Shelari expected. Unable to crush its intended victim in its jaws, it instead spewed out a torrent of acid from its mouth. The caustic liquid splashed heavily on Razor's chest and helmet but the armor was far more durable than most starship hulls. The acid had no effect as it ran off the surface and dripped down to the ground, making hissing noises and wisps of smoke as it burned through the sand.

Duero gritted his teeth behind his helmet as he continued to hold the creature at bay. With the boy frozen in fright behind him, he couldn't finish off the Shelari without harm befalling the lad. Fortunately for him, Barnette and Parfet gave him the chance as they quickly grabbed the child up and carried him off to safety. Once they were a safe distance away, they called out to him.

"He's all right now, Razor!" Barnette shouted.

"Let him have it!" Parfet said.

Razor nodded as he looked back up at his opponent. With his hands holding open the beast's jaws, he couldn't engage his Tekka weapons, so he would have finish it off another way.

"As much as I prefer NOT to use brute force "

Tekkaman Razor let off a growl as he exerted even more of his power. The Shelari desperately tried to pull away as the pressure increased but then

_**SHHHHHRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIPPPPP!**_

Barnette, Parfet and Kennan watched in awe and shock as Tekkaman Razor tore the Shelari's head in half! The massive skull exploded in a mass of brain tissue, bone, muscle and fluids. More acid splashed all over the doctor as the worm's acid sacs burst apart. However, this made no difference to him as his armor easily withstood the dousing of the Shelari's innards. The large, headless body toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash, causing sand and dirt clouds to spread across the barren landscape. When the clouds settled, and silence returned, Tekkaman Razor simply turned around and walked toward the two women and the still frightened boy who had just witnessed one man destroy the deadliest predator on Tarak with ease.

* * *

Later, sitting by a campfire

"It's all your fault!" Kennan said in anger.

After lengthy explanations had been made and the shock of seeing a Tekkaman for the first time had worn off, the young boy had become very upset when he realized that Duero and the others had interfered in his Spirit Trial.

"We were only trying to help " Parfet began, only to be cut off.

"You weren't supposed to! Now I'll never become a First-Class citizen!"

Duero tried to reach out to the boy to reassure him, but Kennan would have none of it and refused to let him come near him. The doctor let off a tired sigh, then said, "We didn't mean to interfere with your Spirit Trial, but we couldn't just stand there and let you get devoured by that Shelari."

"Then you should have let it eat me!" The boy snapped back. "It would have been better than having to go back and tell the judges that I failed because I was helped by women!"

Both Parfet and Barnette winced at the boy's stinging remarks, though they really couldn't blame him. A year ago, they would have had the same attitude toward men. They had been taught since childhood to hate the opposite gender, and it seemed that it was identical on Tarak.

However, now that both sexes were united against the Radam, they wanted to try to get along with the men of Tarak. After all, both were attracted to one.

"Although I understand why you want to become a First-Class Citizen, it's better to have failed than to lose your life." Barnette said.

"You don't know anything!" Kennan shot back. "First-Class is the best and you ruined my only chance!"

"Well, perhaps not." Duero said. "I'm certain we can persuade them that our interference was only accidental. If we were to speak to the judges and your Prime and Second"

"I don't have a Prime or Second." The boy sobbed as tears started to well up in his eyes.

Duero and the females became surprised at his admission.

"You don't have a Prime or Second? I thought your family name was Cortan."

"It's not." The boy said sadly, then sighed as he decided that it didn't matter anymore. "It's just a name I took off the planetary registry, along with the false records I provided to the Spirit Trial Center. They wouldn't let an orphan go out on his own, so I bribed a couple of Third-Class workers to pose as my fathers. It cost me all the food pellets I had saved, and now I don't have anything left."

"You're an orphan?" Parfet asked. "Did your parents die?"

"I don't know who my Prime and Second are. No one came to claim me at the factory when I was born. The records of the people who made me were lost. I only knew of the name I was given when I was sent to be raised at the orphanage it was Kennan."

Both women shuddered. They were familiar with the way Tarak men reproduced and didn't like the idea of growing up without the warmth of a mother's arms.

"So I take it you left the orphanage?" Duero surmised.

"Yeah. The head of the orphanage was some really bad man who used to beat me and stuff. One night, when I was five, I slipped out of there and since then, I've been on my own. I thought that if I could become a First-Class Citizen, I could get a better life, but now that's over with."

There was a long silence as Duero considered the lad. Then he placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled. "Kennan it's not over yet. According to the rules of the Spirit Trial, the candidate must get to Grand Pa's Pass on his own, and you can still do that. As far as anyone is concerned, you are still eligible to become a First-Class Citizen. No one else knows what happened here except for myself, and my two friends and no one is going to tell." He turned to his companions. "Right?"

Barnette and Parfet both nodded.

With this, the boy smiled as he began to consider that women weren't the monsters he had believed.

* * *

Duero smiled as he, Barnette and Parfet watched Kennan walk toward the horizon. In a little while, he was out of sight and well on his way to Grand Pa's Pass.

"Will he be all right by himself?" Barnette asked.

Duero nodded. "He should be fine. He's following the same route I did, and as long as he sticks to that trail, he shouldn't have any problems. I estimate that he'll reach the goal in about a day or so. Besides, all candidates are given a homing device to use in case they cannot make it to Grand Pa's Pass."

"Speaking of which, shouldn't we get there as well?" Parfet said.

"In a while." The Tarak doctor said as he headed toward the decapitated body of the Shelari he had killed. "First, I have to take care of something."

"What?" Both women asked simultaneously.

It was then that a low growl was heard from Duero's stomach. The physician blushed a bit as he explained. "Even though I was a Tekkaman for only a short while, I still burned up a great deal of calories. I have not had lunch nor breakfast. I'm quite hungry." He gestured to the Shelari carcass. "And there is no sense in letting that go to waste."

Both females became very nauseous at that moment.

* * *

Some time later

The fire roared even higher as a large piece of Shelari meat was being roasted. Sitting on a small boulder, Duero had a simple metal plate in his lap, with a knife and fork in his hands. He was busy enjoying Tarak's version of Barnette's filet mignon. It was his fourth helping as he devoured the Shelari steaks he had prepared for himself and his companions.

After dragging the sandworm's body completely onto the surface, he efficiently cut off a large section of the its flank and prepared it on a makeshift spit, using some supplies he had in the hover transport. Fifteen minutes later, the surrounding air was heavy with the smell of roasting meat and pungent Tarak spices. Though very rare to come by, the men of Tarak did enjoy to season their food once in a while.

Barnette and Parfet watched in amazement as Duero continued to eat the very thing that had tried to eat him. They were also somewhat squeamish about eating something that was so hideous and dangerous. Their plates were still in their hands, the food uneaten.

Duero stopped eating to look up at his companions' untouched meals. He smiled and said, "Go ahead. Enjoy. As I recall, you two haven't eaten either. Aren't you hungry? Is the food not to your liking?"

Parfet gulped as she shook her head. "Oh no! It's fine! It's just that I'm not really hungry"

It was then that her stomach growled in protest.

Parfet chuckled nervously, then looked back down at her plate.

Barnette also considered the meal in her hands. She too was feeling hungry and it SEEMED to be all right. She was still hesitant to sample it, though the smell was quite tempting. If she didn't know where the meat came from, she would have taken a bite.

Duero understood their reluctance, then addressed Barnette.

"McFile Survival Rule Number Four."

"Huh?" Parfet said in confusion.

Barnette pondered Duero's statement, then nodded as she remembered. "Always keep an open mind, right?"

Duero nodded. "Correct. Are you going to let that meal go to waste, or would you prefer the pill rations I brought with me?"

Both females winced as they remembered sampling those dreadful things back on the Nirvana. With that in mind, they picked up their forks and took their first bite of Tarak cuisine.

The taller brunette's eyes widened in surprise as the meat's flavor reached her taste buds and she chewed thoughtfully. She then swallowed and smiled at the cook.

"You're right. It DOES taste like pork! You've got to show me the recipe!" She then proceed to consume her meal while still smiling.

Parfet was also enjoying her first Tarak meal. In fact she was enjoying the Shelari Steak so much, she didn't notice something crawling about on the ground near her.

Duero however, did notice and in a flash, threw out his right arm. A streak of silver sped by the bespectacled girl and impacted hard against the creature's body, sending it flying back several feet. This startled Parfet, causing her to drop her plate. She looked toward where the thing had landed and let off a gasp.

The desert spider was about the size of a man's fist and had eight, spiny legs. It's body was covered in what appeared to be spiked scales and it was colored a light tan, which blended well with the desert ground. It had large, curved fangs which looked like miniature, bent hypodermic needles. Its beady eyes, all seven of them, were colored black. It twitched a bit before finally expiring. Imbedded in its body was the knife Duero had been eating with.

This caused Parfet to faint. As Barnette set down her plate and went to check on her, Duero walked over to where the dead spider lay.

"Is that a Sand Stalker?" Barnette asked in a trembling voice. She still remembered her near-fatal encounter with a venomous spider.

Duero nodded. "Yes. That's a Sand Stalker." He paused for a long while, then remarked. "We can have it for dessert."

Barnette then fainted alongside her companion.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Nirvana

Slade walked down the corridor toward Jura's quarters and wondered why the former Dread pilot had insisted to see him. She had promised to show him something that he would like, and that only made him shiver at the thought. Though she had promised not to be show any displays of affection toward him during the Tarak/Mejele truce, the White Tekkaman still felt very nervous about the whole thing. Now it was true that he was attracted to her and under different circumstances, he just might have considered

Slade shook his head in denial. The threat of the Radam took precedence over anything and everything. With that, he made up his mind to tell her just that. Though a large part of him didn't want to, he had to make Jura understand that they needed to be focused on stopping the Radam. This was not the time to be thinking of anything else!

However, when he got to her quarters and the door opened for him, what he saw made him forget about the Radam completely! Ever since he had first met the blonde girl, it had been a well known fact that she constantly strove for elegance. And what she presented at that moment came VERY close to the epitome of its definition.

Jura was clothed not in her usual, revealing dress with the plunging neckline, but in an emerald green, silk robe with flaring sleeves. Belted at her waist was a very wide, red band that was tied at the back in a large bow. Her kimono had white cherry blossom petals etched in the fabric near the sleeves and upper body areas. However, the top of her outfit was strained as it was just barely able to contain her generous bosom. Her hair was done up in a modest topknot style held by a pair of decorative, long pins, though much of her tresses flowed down her back. She was currently barefoot.

She was currently in a Seiza (3) position on a series of large, straw mats in the center of her room. Small sticks of fragrant incense burned in ceremonial urns, giving off thin wisps of smoke, which were sucked up slowly by the ventilation system so that the atmosphere would not be ruined, but the smell would not be overpowering. In front of her were various utensils, pots and drinking vessels which stirred up faint memories in Slade. He seemed to recall something like this during his childhood and for a brief moment, he saw an image of a young Nodoka Saotome kneeling in the same place where Jura was. Then his eyes widened as he realized what Jura was presenting to him.

She was about to perform the traditional tea ceremony for him!

In her mind, Jura went over what Nodoka had taught her about the tea ceremony and its significance. When the aged woman demonstrated it, Jura could only marvel at how refined the captain looked and pleaded with her for training. She wanted to impress Slade and show him, that she could be mature and wasn't just another 'dumb blonde.' She was certain that this display would prove that she was worthy to be the mother of his children.

Jura had spent the week practicing each and every movement. Slade's mother praised her on how quickly she learned and how well-versed she was with etiquette. After finishing with her instruction, she then set up the perfect scenario so that Slade would be at ease when she performed the ceremony. She smiled as she placed both of her hands in front of her, with fingertips pointed forward and the index fingers touching. She gave him a solemn bow as she silently bid him to enter, sat up and waited. As she remained slightly bent over, the front of her kimono began to part, giving her intended a very interesting view.

The White Tekkaman gulped hard at the sight, but then was at a loss of what to do. The tea ceremony had not been done for centuries! And yet, this was quite a change from what he had been expecting. He had assumed that Jura would suddenly jump at him the moment he opened the door and try to get him to do (well, you know). However, she was being amicable and well-behaved. She had gone through the trouble to set this up, just for him. It would be disrespectful for him not to appreciate her efforts.

With that in mind, he gave her a nod and smiled warmly. As he was about to step inside, he remembered another thing from his childhood about Tatami mats. He stepped back, bent down and took off his boots. Leaving his footwear near the doorway inside her room, he took a deep breath and stepped forward. The door closed silently behind him as he walked over to where Jura was and knelt down opposite to her on the mats.

The blonde-haired girl smiled as she began the tea ceremony.

* * *

Down on Tarak

Both Barnette and Pafet were still bit unnerved as they continued to ride with Duero in the hover transport. After watching him roast that Sand Stalker over the fire, then gobble it up as if he were eating a candy bar, both girls began to see the Tarak pills as more appetizing.

Duero maintained that it would have been wasteful to have killed the spider and not eaten it. However, he understood that it would take time before the women got used to the idea of eating things that didn't come from a clean and sterile grocery store. Those were hard lessons and unfortunately, there was very little time for them to learn.

He decided to table those thoughts for later as he guided the vehicle toward Grand Pa's Pass. He had opted to take a more direct route toward their destination rather than follow the original journey he had taken when he was seven. The terrain was rougher and more frequented by Shelari, but as long as he maintained an altitude of four feet above the ground at a high speed, with the sound suppressors on, there was very little chance they would attract any of those underground predators.

He then gestured toward an area in the distance, and the two women gazed in awe at the enormous stone structures looming before them. Twin pillars stood tall and proud, marking the entrance to a canyon that was know to all on Tarak as Grand Pa's Pass.

As they entered the canyon, all three were unaware that they were being watched

The lone figure hid behind the shadows of a large boulder in one of the canyon walls' many recesses. He lay in the prone position as he observed the vehicle. In his arms, he cradled a high-powered sniper rifle. He recognized the insignia of the Tarak Military on the vehicle's side and frowned. He sighted his intended target, took careful aim and squeezed the trigger.

Two shots rang out in succession as both bullets flew straight and true toward their targets. The first armor-piercing projectile easily shot off the latch to the engine cowling of the vehicle's left ion thruster, exposing its insides. The second played havoc with the mechanisms within. In an instant, the craft's forward momentum became erratic as the propulsion unit started to sputter. A few seconds later, the other thruster also began to malfunction.

Duero fought hard at the controls in an attempt to bring the vehicle to a halt. As it careened toward one of the canyon's walls, Barnette and Parfet braced for impact. Fortunately, the emergency systems kicked in and repulsion fields were projected on all sides. At the same time, Duero activated the inertial dampers within the hover transport to further protect himself and his passengers. The machine came to a ear-splitting halt just inches from the wall.

The doctor immediately shut down all systems and turned around in his seat to check on the status of his companions. Both women nodded to him, signifying that they were no worse for wear. The three quickly vacated from their disabled craft. Barnette looked about for any sign of their attacker, with her Tarak Assault Rifle held at the ready. Parfet was a bit shaken by the sudden stop and had to be examined by Duero for a minute before she assured him that she was all right. He also took up arms alongside Barnette. Long minutes would pass, but no further attacks came.

It was then that Duero checked out the damaged hover transport. When he opened up the engine cowling, his expression became hardened as he reached in and pulled out a severed wire. The two Mejele pirates came up to him as he showed them his discovery.

"What happened?" Parfet asked.

"Take a look at this." The doctor said as he showed them the wire, then gestured at a hole in the engine. A small stream of green-blue, viscous liquid was leaking out. "We were hit by high-velocity rounds from a sniper rifle. The first one probably opened up the cowling while the second severed the ion relay cable and punctured the capacitance gel reservoir. The bullet also got the redundancy control interface."

The bespectacled girl let off a low whistle at the damage. "Whoa. He hit the latch and took out the propulsion and maneuvering systems with just two bullets!"

Barnette was also impressed. "He got them all from a distance? While we were moving? That's not too shabby."

Duero shook his head as he pointed at the end of the wire. "Actually, it wasn't his best. Look at this wire. The end is frayed. I know from experience that he would never be this sloppy unless he was very upset about something."

"You don't think it's good shooting to hit that thin wire from a distance with a rifle?" The brunette asked incredulously.

Duero shook his head again. "Whenever he gets serious about hitting his target, he could pick the eyes off a Sand Stalker at five hundred feet during a heavy sandstorm."

"Who?" The two females asked simultaneously.

* * *

The shooter nodded as he sighted the group in his rifle's scope. After firing off his first shots, he had immediately moved to another position. After adjusting the power levels to his weapon, he efficiently took aim and squeezed the trigger again.

* * *

Two more shots rang out, this time catching Barnette completely by surprise. The assault rifle she was carrying took a bullet between the magazine and the loading mechanism, causing it to jam and rendering it useless. The second bullet impacted hard against her hip holster, knocking away the ancient Colt 45 she had carried with her when she decided to visit Tarak.

"_TAKE COVER!_" Duero cried out as he pushed his companions toward a nearby recess in the canyon walls. All three pressed their backs hard against the hard surface. Their adrenaline levels became elevated along with their breathing rates. The two females strained to listen for the next shots as they tried to determine who was shooting at them. Duero however, already knew.

"Who's attacking us?!" Parfet asked in a panicked but hushed tone.

Duero took a long and tired sigh as he answered. "My father."

"_YOUR FATHER?!_" Both girls cried out.

The doctor nodded. "I recognized the shooting style and there's only one man on Tarak with that kind of marksmanship."

"Then why is he shooting at us?!" Barnette demanded.

The Tarak healer shook his head. "He's not shooting at us."

"What?!"

Duero gestured to the damaged rifle in Barnette's hands, then to her hip where her pistol had been holstered. "He aimed at your weapons, not you. If he really wanted to shoot you, then you would have a grossly incorrect number of body openings by now. So far, all of his shots were meant to disable and disarm, not kill. He's been giving us warning shots."

"_THOSE WERE WARNING SHOTS?!_"

Duero could only nod.

"So what do we do now?" Parfet asked.

The man cocked his head to one side in thought. "Hmmmm. If I know Father, he'd have already moved to another firing position. Taking into account of his stealth skills and visual acuity, I'd say that he'd have taken a position" He lifted an arm and pointed toward a rocky overhang about one hundred fifty feet to their left and twenty feet above the canyon floor. " right about there."

As if on cue, a tall figure stood up from behind a rock on the overhang. He called out to Duero in a gruff but commanding voice.

"I'm glad to see that you didn't forget what I taught you, Son!"

Parfet and Barnette could only stare in shock at Duero's father, Tensen Mcfile.

* * *

Slade swallowed hard as Jura performed the ancient tea ceremony as perfectly as he remembered it. Using a fukusa (4), she purified the tea container and scoop. She made a careful inspection of folding and handling of the fukusa, She then ladled hot water into the tea bowl, rinsing the whisk, then emptied the bowl with the chakin(5).

Lifting the tea scoop and tea container, she placed three scoops into the tea bowl, which was made of fine ceramic and elaborately decorated. She carefully ladled hot water from the kettle into the teabowl to create a thin paste with the whisk. As she stirred the tea with the wisk, she carefully added more water to bring the tea to the correct consistency. Unused water in the ladle was returned to the kettle.

Jura then passed the tea bowl to Slade. He gave her a bow in accepting it. He then had to dig very deep into his memories as Ranma Saotome, then nodded as he finally recalled. He raised the bowl and rotated it, admiring its pattern. He drank some of the tea, while holding it in one hand, and placing the index finger of his other hand on the side. He then wiped the rim of the bowl, and passed it back to her. Jura smiled as she rinsed the tea bowl and offered the utensils for his inspection. Slade held up his hand and shook his head, deciding to skip the remaining phase of the ceremony.

Jura smiled as she carefully laid the items to the side and gazed longingly into his eyes. At this point, the front of her kimono was almost bursting at the front as her generous breasts threatened to spill out completely. Slade was having a hard time from keeping his eyes from straying.

"How was it?"

The question brought Slade out of his stupor as he quickly answered. "Uhm it was perfect."

"Really? I'm so happy!"

"Uh where did you learn the tea ceremony?"

"I learned it from your mother, I mean, the Captain. She also loaned me this kimono. Do like it?"

"I think it's very beautiful. And I have to admit, you look really, beautiful in it. I mean it."

"I'm very glad to hear it" It was then that she leaned forward. At that time, he got REALLY nervous as he saw a very close view of her cleavage. He found himself rooted to the spot as she leaned even further, then finally their lips came together.

At that point, Slade's cognitive processes were offline and his instincts went on full blast as he kissed her back. His hands took hold of her shoulders and brought her closer. However, before he was able to act on those instincts, the intercom went on

"Tactical to Slade. Tactical to Slade. Please report to the War Room immediately."

Jura took on a look of resigned disappointment as she and Slade parted. She let off a sigh and held up her right hand before he could say anything. "I know, I know. Duty calls. Go."

Slade nodded as he and Jura stood up. However he paused for a long moment, before saying to her, "I really did appreciate the tea ceremony Jura."

The blond smiled and replied, "And I fully intend to _FINISH_ what we started here."

The White Tekkaman quickly turned about and headed out the room.

As he left, Jura smiled as she knew that she was getting closer and closer to her goal. She vowed that the next time, she would have him!

* * *

Meanwhile back on Tarak

"I'm _NEVER_ going back." Tensen Mcfile said simply.

"But Father" Duero began, only to be cut off by his sire.

"No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Son." The elder Mcfile affirmed. "I left the military with no intention of ever coming back to it or the city. I thought I made that clear to you three years ago."

As they argued, Barnette and Parfet stood nearby and took in all the similarities and differences between the two generations of the Mcfile family. Duero was about the same height as Tensen and both had their hair styled in the same manner, with one side of their faces obscured. Both were built with lean but well-toned physiques and their skin was darkly tanned, though Duero's was a lighter hue, due to his time on the Nirvana. And most noticeably, both men had the same serious, yet perceptive expression on their faces when facing a challenge.

However, unlike his son's, Tensen's hair had several gray streaks in it and he was in his mid to late forties. His eyes were blue as compared to Duero's hazel. He wore a kind of survival jumpsuit with a poncho that was well-worn. In his hands was his weapon of choice, the Tarak Sniper Rifle also called the Long Shot Mark IV. Like the assault rifle, it fired a variety of ammunition, though Tensen was especially proficient in using the armor-piercing, long distance rounds. He also carried a pistol that resembled an ancient Berretta 92, but had a longer barrel and greater stopping power than its predecessor. Due to his incredible survival skills and ambush tactics using the rifle and pistol, (not to mention his unbelievable eyesight and marksmanship), Tensen was quite possibly the most accomplished sniper ever to graduate from the Tarak Academy. As such, he was known by his nickname of Sure Shot McFile. There was virtually no target on Tarak or any other planet that he couldn't hit.

"So Duero, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

The good doctor became somewhat flustered as he gestured to both women. "Oh yes, of course. This is Barnette Orangello and Parfet Balblair. Both are members of the Mejele Pirates, in which I had been serving as their ship's surgeon for the past year."

"You were the medical officer on board an all-female ship?" The elder McFile said in surprise, then gave his son a knowing expression. "I'm willing to wager that it was quite the experience for you."

Duero nodded. "Far more than I would have expected and well, it's a very long story."

"I'm not going anywhere, Son. I have the time."

* * *

A lot later

Tensen nodded as his son finished retelling his adventures for the past year. He and the others sat around a campfire. The sun was just starting its downward journey toward the horizon. Duero's father had currently dismantled his rifle and was cleaning the parts.

"So that's it, huh? No wonder you never responded to any of my messages for the last twelve months."

The Nirvana's doctor nodded. "I couldn't do that from the other side of the galaxy."

Tensen shook his head. "Well, it's good to see that you're still alive and kicking. I can understand the situation that got you into the position of being the women's doctor." He then addressed the females. "Seeing that he's still around, means that he did a decent job on your ship, right?"

Parfet nodded eagerly, hoping to allay any doubts and perhaps impress Duero's father. "He's a GREAT doctor! I don't think we've ever had one better than him!"

Not wanting to be outdone, Barnette also added, "We wouldn't have gotten as far as we did without him!"

Tensen smiled slightly as he sensed a certain something coming from them, but decided to table that thought for later. He then readdressed his son. "It's just what I'd expect from someone who made it to the top of his class. So tell me more about these invaders, the Radam. Are they the reason why those military idiots have been dogging my trail for the last week?"

Duero nodded. "I was told by one of your former superiors that they have made several attempts to find you, but they never succeeded."

"That's right. About six days ago, I got wind of some officers trying to contact me. I couldn't understand why, since the ITSF never bothered with me, after I resigned my commission. I didn't really care in any case, and I made certain that whoever they sent, never got within a thousand meters of me. I gave a couple of them some warning shots like I gave to you and your friends. They sent one really obnoxious bastard that I knew back then and well, let's just say that he won't be sitting down properly for the next month or so." He chuckled at the memory, then continued. "When I saw the insignia on your transport, I thought you were another bunch that the upper brass sent. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was you and two women. I was even more surprised when you told me that all the women from Mejele are now on Tarak. Never thought I'd live to see the day."

"Yes, things have changed and now we must all unite against our common enemy. Father, we need your help. Will you not reconsider coming back, at least until the Radam are dealt with?"

Tensen gazed upon his only offspring for a long time. Both Parfet and Barnette held their breath as they awaited his answer. Finally, he replied.

"Tell you what, Son. You came all this way to find me, so I'm going to give you a chance. You have until sunrise to convince me to come back with you. I'd like to see just what you gained from being with the women for the past year."

* * *

A while later

"So, my son tells me that you're quite the shot." Tensen said as he addressed Barnette. The two of them were standing in an open area of Grand Pa's Pass. Both were armed with rifles. Barnette had an ancient M1-D Garand rifle that she had brought along with her. Tensen had in his hands his trusty Long Shot Mark IV.

"Well, my crewmates say that I'm pretty good." The brunette said with a bit of pride. She had been surprised when Duero's father challenged her to a shooting match. Parfet was busy setting up the target some distance away, and though close-quarters firing was Barnette's preferred method of shooting, she was also proud of her marksmanship at long ranges. Behind them, Duero watched closely as the two shooters prepared to square off.

Barnette loaded up her weapon with an eight-round stripper clip as Parfet came up to them.

"Everything's all set Mr. McFile." Parfet announced. "I have that target set up with those rivets facing out, just like you asked."

Some distance away, a small plate of light-grade steel was standing with a circle of sixteen small rivets sticking out from its center. The rivets were only halfway embedded into the metal.

"You can see those rivets, right?" Tensen asked.

Barnette sighted the target through her rifle's scope and nodded.

"Good." Duero's sire remarked, then said, "Let's see how many shots you take to drive eight of those rivets all the way into the metal."

Barnette smiled as she took careful aim at the topmost rivet and squeezed the trigger. As soon she fired, she reacquired the target and fired again. She repeated the process six more times, and each shot struck its mark. Eight loud pings were heard as the rivets were driven fully into the metal. A ninth ping was heard as soon as Barnette fired her last bullet and the stripper clip was automatically ejected.

Tensen nodded. "Nice. Good accuracy and consistency." He then prepared to shoot, then addressed Parfet. "How far did you set up that target?"

The girl with the glasses shrugged. "It's about a hundred and twenty feet."

The elder McFile considered the rifle in his hands, shook his head, then put it down. "Too close for this gun." He then un-holstered his pistol, twirled it with a flourish, then fired without seemingly aiming it, and with incredible speed. What sounded almost like a single gunshot was actually six fired in rapid succession. Six rivets were driven into the steel at almost the same time.

Barnette's eyes widened in disbelief at the accuracy and speed he displayed. Then he raised the bar even higher by purposely aiming his gun several degrees to the right. The last two bullets ricocheted off two nearby boulders before perfectly driving in the final rivets.

At this point, the Mejele girl with the hobby of collecting ancient firearms was in awe as she dropped her weapon to the ground.

She was in the presence of a master sharpshooter.

* * *

"So what are you doing?" Tensen asked as he approached Parfet. At this point, Barnette and Duero were setting up camp for them to spend the night.

The young engineer nodded as she showed Duero's father the systems to their hover transport. "I'm fixing up the damage you caused to our ion drives. With a little work, I should have them up and running in an hour."

"I do apologize for that. I had thought you were with the Tarak military. Are you certain you can repair them? I aimed to disable this vehicle completely."

Parfet smiled at him. "I have to admit that you shot our most vital systems. Normally, without the proper replacement parts, I'd either have put this thing through a complete overhaul or chalk it up as a loss. But since I don't have the necessary components and there's no sense moping about it, I decided to do some improvisation. I figure that if I can jury-rig a connector to fix the severed relay cable and patch up the holes with some homemade sealant I came up with, then we can get going again. It'll take until morning for the sealant to harden, but we should be good."

"Impressive." Mcfile agreed while thinking to himself. '_She already knows about McFile Survival Rule Number One. Don't worry about what you don't have, and work with what you do have. Very impressive indeed._'

* * *

Later

Both girls were laughing and giggling almost uncontrollably as they and the two men were huddled inside the tent. As they prepared to bed down for the night, Barnette and Parfet had asked Tensen to tell them more about his son. He was more than happy to recant tales of his son during his childhood, much to the doctor's embarrassment.

"Father!" Duero said with a bit of irritation. "You did not have to tell them about _THAT_ time!"

Tensen chuckled a bit. "Well, I _THOUGHT_ it was cute when you were five and you"

"I do not want to _REMEMBER THAT!_"

As father and son got into a bit of a heated discussion over that event in Duero's past, both females smiled at their interactions and began to imagine a younger version of the physician. Then they started to see versions of Duero with some their own features. Then they saw themselves as the mothers of such children and began to consider the future after the Radam were defeated. That got them thinking even more.

Their expressions did not go unnoticed by Duero's father. He smiled slightly at their curiosity toward his only offspring. Throughout their time together, they constantly asked about Duero and tried to learn as much as they could about him. And for some reason, this pleased him immensely.

* * *

The next morning

"What are we doing here?" Barnette asked as she and Parfet accompanied Duero toward an area near the center of the canyon.

"Before we head back to the city, I need to go to a certain place that's very special to both myself and my father."

"Really?" Both girls said simultaneously.

Duero nodded as he pointed toward a place just around a winding bend and hidden behind a large outcropping of rock. When they circled around, they found themselves in a large open space. Near the center was a huge pool of water, surrounded by a ring of misshapen boulders. Near the middle, the clear liquid bubbled from several fissures at the bottom. The trio stopped at the edge of the hidden spring as the physician explained.

"This is the spring that was discovered by Grand Pa more than a century ago. It's fed by a hidden reservoir deep within the ground and is heated by a subterranean magma pocket. It's said that the water is mixed with several rare minerals and chemicals which give it a kind of miraculous and medicinal property."

"What do you mean?" Parfet asked.

"Well, according to what some reports say, when Grand Pa arrived at this spring and drank the water, his strength returned in an instant."

"Really?" Barnette asked with interest.

Duero shrugged shoulders. "Well, it's never been scientifically proven, but then again, no one's ever analyzed the waters. The only ones who has ever drank the water were the original eight men of Tarak, and any child who has passed the Spirit Trial. It's forbidden for any other person to partake of the water. Then again, I suppose anyone would feel refreshed after trekking though the desert for several days. And speaking of the Spirit Trial, I would say that a certain someone is due to arrive right about now."

As if on cue, a certain boy came around the bend and noticed the three.

"_HEY!_"

The physician smiled as he waved back. "Kennan! I knew you would make it."

The young boy dropped his pack and ran up to meet with him and his companions. He had a wide grin on his face as he looked up at the three who had saved him the other day. The boy had some scratches, cuts and bruises from trekking through the wasteland and navigating the canyon, but was in good spirits.

"I did it! I did it! I'm a First Class Citizen!"

"Not quite." Duero said as he decided to remind the boy of the remainder of his trial. "You must now mark your name on that stone over there. Then you must take the ceremonial cup and drink from the spring. Leave your homing beacon on the stand to signal that you made the journey."

The healer pointed to a large boulder at the far end of the spring. Beside it was a small pedestal with a cup on it. The boy nodded as he left his pack and ran toward his final destination. As he went to finish his Spirit Trial, Duero smiled as he turned about and gestured to his two female companions.

"It's time to go."

"Aren't we going to stay and make sure he'll be all right?" Parfet asked.

At that point, Duero's father approached the trio. "No need Parfet." He gestured to the boy. "Once he puts his homing beacon on that stand, a signal will be transmitted to the Spirit Trial Council. They'll send out a retrieval team to bring him back to the city. He'll be fine. Besides, this is his moment and it wouldn't do for us to be here when the retrieval team arrives. They might question whether or not the boy made the trip on his own. In any case, we have to get going."

"We?" Duero stressed as he was surprised at how amicable his father was. "Are you?"

"Coming back with you to help fight the Radam?" Tensen nodded. "Yes, I believe I will. You three have shown me some _VERY_ good reasons why I should return with you."

"We have?" Barnette asked in confusion. "But all we did was talk about your son last night."

"Exactly. Now shall we go?"

The three bewildered at the ease in which the formally stubborn individual was cooperating and wondered just what had changed his mind.

As they headed back toward the repaired transport, Duero's father smiled at their puzzlement. They didn't know that they were on the verge of rediscovering the ancient practices between men and women and this intrigued the survivalist and Tarak's best sniper. He liked what was beginning to develop and wanted to see the end result.

To be continued

**Author's Notes**

Wow! Long time since I've written anything and I think the initial conflicts between the men and women of Tarak have been met and will be developing even further as the war with the Radam grows near. As of part 3 of this chapter, we'll have some excitement and some interesting developments as this story comes close to its conclusion.

(1) Got this idea from watching Prince of Tennis.

(2) You know those little functions women have to take care of during certain times of the month?

(3) Kneeling position commonly found in many Japanese rituals.

(4) Fine silk cloth.

(5) Tea wiping cloth. 


	30. Chapter 12, Part 3: Getting Together

**TEKKADREAD THE SECOND STAGE **

Disclaimer: It's been a while so I'm not too rusty. Ranma , Tekkman Blade and Vandread all belong to their respective owners, so don't bother me with all these lawsuits.

' ': Thoughts

**Chapter 12 **

**Part 3 **

**Getting Together **

Tekkaman Dagger growled with disgust as he stood before his master Darkon. What he had to tell his lord would definitely not please him in the slightest.

"Dagger, report."

The space warrior nodded as he replied. "I apologize for my recent failure to capture the crew of the Tarak warship"

* * *

Flashback to a few hours before

The Tarak heavy cruiser Sword Spirit was badly damaged and drifting after a prolonged battle with a horde of Spider-Crabs. The ship had been on a recon mission when it had been surprised by the Radam monsters. Though the outnumbered crew and its Vanguard squadron had fought bravely, the outcome of the battle had been inevitable. The engines had been torn completely out of their housings. Most systems were now on emergency power only. There were several gaping holes in the hull. Frayed circuitry and ruptured conduits let off intermittent sparks and puffs of gases. Its guns were mangled and blackened. Floating in the vacuum in the immediate area were the wreckages of Vanguards and human bodies. However, for every destroyed mecha, at least thirty Spider-Crabs went down before the pilot perished. The entire sector of space was littered with the gory remains of the Radam horrors. The Sword Spirit's mecha squadron was considered among best in the Imperial Fleet, just below the level of the Fire Heart's famed Brawler Brigade.

On the devastated bridge of the ship, a lone armored figure held up the commander of the vessel by the throat. Captain Horan Crusel gasped as he tried to keep himself from blacking out. His bloodied hands gripped Dagger's armored wrist to support himself. His eyes locked with the visored helmet of Darkon's servant. His mouth was fixed in a snarl. His uniform was in tatters, along with his bridge crew. However, he remained defiant as Dagger addressed him.

"Well now, Captain. I must admit that you and your crew put up quite a fight. It took many more Spider-Crabs than I thought to break through your defenses. If I hadn't joined in, then you may have had a chance to drive them back. You certainly are sturdier than those women from Mejele."

"So what are you waiting for?" Horan gasped. "Finish it!"

"Oh no." Dagger wagged a finger at him with his free hand. "We're not about let such fine specimens go to waste."

"What are you talking about?"

Dagger smirked behind his faceplate. "You men of Tarak are quite the fighters. That battle instinct is perfect for our needs. And the fact that your genetic makeup is hardier than those women from Mejele is also in your favor. A pity that we couldn't take your Vanguard pilots alive. They would have been the best candidates."

"Candidates?"

"Yes. We intend to make more Tekkamen. And you and your crew shall be the first in a new generation of warriors to our Lord Darkon!"

"Like Hell!" Horan spat. "You aren't going to use any man against Tarak!"

"You don't have a choice." Dagger said matter-of-factly. "As we speak, the Spider-Crabs are already gathering your crew. Soon they shall be taken by the Tekkapods and converted into servants of the Radam!"

"Over my dead body!"

The Tekkaman chuckled. "Oh, you _WOULD_ like me to do that. And I am _VERY_ tempted to oblige you. However, my orders are to capture as many subjects as possible, and you shall be sharing your crew's fate. You cannot die until Lord Darkon tells you to."

"I _ONLY_ obey Lord Grand Pa!" With his fading strength, he reached down with his right hand and pressed a secret button hidden on the rank insignia on his chest. A beeping noise was heard on the console behind him.

Dagger saw the flashing light then demanded. "What did you do!?"

The Captain of the Sword Spirit grinned as he said with the last of his breath. "I guess I should have warned you. Our entire conversation was recorded and was just sent back to Tarak by tachyon beam. Oh yeah, by the way you're not getting anyone from this ship. I also activated the auto-destruct sequence you got fifteen seconds"

"_NO!_"

Dagger threw away the captain and charged toward the console to stop the countdown. The broken body of Horan Crusel landed hard on the floor, but at this point, he didn't care about the pain that was rippling through his very being. He smirked as the Tekkaman smashed the console apart in vain. Once activated, the auto-destruct could not be halted. As the timer reached zero, he let off one final cry of defiance

"_LONG LIVE GRAND PA!_"

The Sword Spirit was ripped apart as its main drive and fusion generators overloaded and exploded. Like the Crimson Twillight from Mejele, the proud Tarak vessel would meet its end in a blaze of glory. The Spider-Crabs aboard were reduced to cinders, along with the crew. Only one person survived the conflagration.

When the explosion subsided, Dagger floated alone among the burned out remains of the ship, along with the remnants of Vanguards and Spider-Crabs. Not a single Tarak man survived. Not one was left to turn into a Tekkaman. Dagger would have to return empty-handed.

Darkon was not going to be pleased.

* * *

End of Flashback

As he had guessed, his master was indeed displeased at his recent failure.

"You disappoint me, Dagger." Darkon said with a quiet, though unmistakable tone of contempt. "You let some prime raw material slip through your fingers."

"My apologies, Lord Darkon." Dagger bowed his head while kneeling before his ruler. "I had assumed that the men of Tarak would follow their basic instincts for self-preservation, not willingly end their lives."

"It is a mistake that may cost us dearly." The Radam warlord pointed out. "Now, thanks to your bumbling, our enemies now know of our intent to convert any prisoners into Tekkamen to use against them. I suspect that they will take extreme measures to prevent this."

"Surely we can still defeat them with our overpowering numbers of Spider-Crabs?" Dagger insisted. "And we still have those Mejele prisoners that we can transform."

Darkon gave him a dismissive wave with his right hand. "And they are the very reason why we are gathering the men. You showed me yourself, that those women's genetic structure was not resilient enough to withstand the Tekkaman Power Process. At this time, we've only managed to convert a few of them, but they must remain in stasis until they can be deployed in battle. The instability of their Tekkaman forms will only allow them to live for a few days, perhaps no more than several hours."

"I understand Darkon. I shall not fail you again."

"Be certain that you do not. Already I am receiving a transmission from Axe. It seems that the men of Tarak are implementing a most dire battle strategy"

* * *

Back on Tarak

It was only a half-hour since the death of the Sword Spirit, when Grand Pa received the final message from Captain Crusel. His wrinkled face became stern as he listened to the recording of the final moments of the once proud warship. The message ended with the words

"_LONG LIVE GRAND PA!_"

This declaration was followed by an explosion which canceled out all noises. Then there was nothing but static as the transmission ended. With a withered index finger, he reached out and shut off the recording. He let off a tired sigh as his aide stood by his desk. Then, without addressing anyone in particular, he spoke.

"An entire Alpha heavy cruiser five hundred and fifty brave men gone."

The aide then approached his liege with a data pad, ready to take down any new orders.

Grand Pa noted his approach and began issuing his commands.

"Captain Horan Crusel was one of the most dedicated officers in the Imperial Fleet and the crew of the Sword Spirit is to be commended for their bravery in combat. They will be sorely missed. Crusel shall be posthumously awarded the Imperial Battle Cross, First Rank. The Sword Spirit and its crew shall be awarded the Imperial Citation of Valor, posthumously as well. As for the Vanguard pilots, each shall be posthumously awarded the Armor Star Medal of Bravery."

"Yes, Grand Pa." The aide said as he recorded each of the awards to be delivered to the surviving families.

"Furthermore" The elderly man took a deep breath as he issued his newest orders. " it is with a sad and heavy heart that I must issue this command. All members of the Tarak Armed Forces must now implement General Order 75 Omega."

This declaration took the aide by total surprise when he heard it, causing him to almost drop his data pad. He quickly recovered and asked his lord. "Excuse me, Great Grand Pa, but did I hear you correctly? Did you just say General Order 75 Omega?"

"You heard me correctly. Implement General Order 75 Omega."

The aide stood in silence in sheer disbelief. He was still in shock at hearing the most dire of orders being given by Grand Pa himself.

The elderly leader of the all-male world noted his aide's alarmed expression and nodded. "Please understand. I do _NOT_ issue this command lightly. I have no intention of ordering the men of Tarak to throw their lives away. Therefore, this order is be executed as a _LAST_ resort."

* * *

On the Fire Heart

Jensen Dar stared at the report that he had just received on his desk's console. He remained silent for a very long time as he read over the final moments of the Sword Spirit. The late Captain Crusel had been a close friend of his and they had graduated from the same class at the Academy. Then his console flashed a second report, which depicted the fate of two other vessels. Then an important message followed the report. At that point, Jensen became very uneasy.

It was then that he heard the front office door beeped.

"Come in."

Hikar Fulson entered the office, a grave look on his face as he addressed his captain.

"Captain. I need to speak to you about something. I just received a Class Omega Order."

Then the door beeped again.

Come in." The captain said.

His new female First Officer entered the room with a puzzled look about her. She saluted the commander of the Vanguard squadron, then saluted to the captain. Both saluted back to her as Jensen stood up.

Aika Shan nodded to both as she spoke toward "Captain, I just received a very strange order on the console in my room. It says something about implementing General Order 75 Omega. I didn't find this order on that translated Officer's Handbook you gave to me. What does it mean?"

The Fire Heart's captain nodded as he replied. "I'm not surprised you don't know about it. Omega-Class orders are not written down. They're normally taught personally at the Academy to officers and master sergeants like Old Gun here. I guess the higher ups didn't take into account of our new officers from Mejele when they sent out those commands. Basically speaking, Omega-Class orders are from Grand Pa himself and he doesn't give them out without a very good reason."

"So what does General Order 75 mean?"

Both men took on an apprehensive expression as Jensen motioned for her to approach his desk's console. He then gestured at the reports on the screen.

"Look at these reports. They detail what happened to a reconnaissance fleet that was patrolling an area that had Spider-Crab sightings. This happened about four hours ago. Unfortunately, three ships did encounter the Radam and two Tekkamen."

"And what happened to them?" Aika asked, though she had a feeling that she already knew.

Jensen nodded toward her apprehensive expression and answered. "The heavy cruiser Sword Spirit suffered 100 casualties when their commander decided to activate the auto-destruct sequence. As for the cruisers Blade Breaker and Steel Will well, they had just received General Order 75 when the Radam found them an hour ago"

* * *

Flashback

On the bridge of the Steel Will, Vice-Admiral Jokan Desarra looked at the readout on his console with a bit of a shocked expression. He was gruff individual with gray hair and a stern disposition. At the time, he couldn't believe what he was reading.

'_General Order Seventy-five Omega?! Grand Pa cannot be serious!_'

Simultaneously on the Blade Breaker's bridge, Commodore Haradi Fulta was thinking the exact same thing. He was a decade younger than the vice-admiral and had russet hair. At the time, both cruisers were traveling through a sector of space just a few parsecs from where the Defense Asteroid Belt once was. It had been a quiet trip with nothing out of the ordinary happening. That is, until both vessels passed by what appeared to be a stray comet. However, that was when all Hell broke loose.

A sizzling flash of light appeared from the head of the speeding ball of ice and slashed through the stern of the Steel Will. The ship lurched to its starboard side from the impact, its engines crippled from the surprise attack. As the crew scrambled to their battle stations, monstrous invaders began appearing from within head and tail of the comet.

On the Blade Breaker, Haradi Fulta gave out orders for his Vanguard squadrons to launch and help provide cover for the stricken Steel Will. At the same time, the large particle gun turrets and missile batteries traversed and started laying down massive barrages against the enemy. However, for every Spider-Crab that was shot down, two more would take its place. Then his main screen displayed an ominous figure appearing to lead the horrors. As his armored form became visible, the Commodore immediately recognized him from the Nirvana's profiles on the enemy Tekkamen. His blood ran cold as uttered out his name.

"Tekkamen Axe."

* * *

In the vacuum of space, the brute known as Axe smiled as he watched the Steel Will struggle to fend off its attackers. However, with its main engines offline, (courtesy of the initial swipe from his Tekka-Axe), the Tarak cruiser could do little but move feebly about with its maneuvering thrusters. Confident that the Spider-Crabs would soon overwhelm the vessel, he then turned his attention to the Blade Breaker.

Lord Darkon would be pleased, if he were to bring back not one, but two Tarak vessels filled with new candidates for the Tekkapods. With that thought, he sped toward the second cruiser.

Aboard the Blade Breaker, Commodore Fulta's crew desperately fought to defend their ship, while their Vanguards continued to fight off the Spider-Crabs that threatened the Steel Will. However, it was a losing battle as more Spider-Crabs pierced the hulls of both ships and began wreaking havoc. These were smaller versions than normal, which made them perfect for infiltration. It was then that one of the bridge officers cried out.

"Commodore! Tekkaman Axe is on an intercept course with us! I'm also receiving reports on several hull breeches by Spider-Crabs on decks 12, 15 and 20!"

"Have all remaining batteries concentrate their fire on Tekkaman Axe! Shoot him down!"

It was then that the main screen came to life, showing the bloodied and bruised visage of Vice-Admiral Jokan Desarra. Behind him, his bridge was in ruins.

"Belay that order!" The Vice-Admiral commanded.

"What?!"

The older man took on a solemn expression as he gave the Commodore his final commands. "Commodore, the Steel Will is lost. The Spider-Crabs have just reached our main reactors and shut them down. We can't fire back."

True to his words, the guns on the vice-admiral's ship shut down and became useless. More Spider-Crabs penetrated the hull and started gathering up the helpless men.

Desarra took a deep breath and said, "Commodore, you must implement General Order Seventy-five Omega! Aim your guns at coordinates 79-49-26! Target the Steel Will!"

"_WHAT?! I CAN'T DO THAT!_" Haradi protested, not believing that his superior had just ordered him to fire on his own ship.

"You must fire on us now! That initial attack had damaged the auto-destruct system! You must detonate our remaining ammunition and ordinance storage bays. Do it now!"

The Commodore gripped the arms of his command chair in frustration as the screen then depicted a scene of carnage as the bridge doors blew open and the Radam horrors entered. The screams of the bridge crew galvanized his resolve as he barked out his commands.

"All forward guns and batteries! Aim at coordinates 79-49-26! Target the Steel Will! _OPEN FIRE!_"

The guns of the Blade Breaker let loose with a murderous barrage that took out anything in its path. Spider-Crabs that were still out in space were torn apart. When the shots reached the Steel Will, they struck the areas where the ammunition, power packs and missiles were stored. The ship shuddered from the impacts, then was engulfed in a series of explosions. The Steel Will and all those aboard, including their Spider-Crab invaders perished.

As the ship died, all remaining Vanguards then turned their attention to protecting the other vessel. They all began attacking Tekkaman Axe, but he causally annihilated all who opposed him, thinking that collecting individual pilots would be too much trouble. It would be more efficient to capture the remaining ship and all of its crew in one fell swoop. However, as the last of the Vanguards fell, the commander of the Blade Breaker came a decision. With his ship now infested with Spider-Crabs and the Tekkaman approaching, there was only one option left General Order Seventy-Five Omega.

With a solemn expression, he activated the auto-destruct sequence.

Thirty seconds later, Axe was engulfed by the explosion as he approached the hull of the Blade Breaker. Like Dagger, the Tekkaman cried out in frustration. Though he would survive the blast, his intended prisoners would not. At this point, he began to regret killing those Vanguard pilots. Now, he too would have to return with nothing to show for his efforts.

* * *

Back to the present

"They fired on their own comrades?!" Aika said in total disbelief.

"They were fulfilling Grand Pa's General Order Seventy-Five Omega." Jensen let off a sad sigh.

Old Gun then explained. "Basically speaking, the order is to fight to the last man, and leave _NO_ survivors for the enemy. Being taken prisoner is _NOT_ an option and we are to prevent that from occurring by any means possible."

"And that includes killing your own men?!"

Hikar Fulson nodded. "The order includes all Vanguard pilots and the Armored Ground Forces, as well as the crews of the Imperial Fleet and the Sentinel Stations. And if it comes to it, this order also includes the general populace of our home planet. I've already given the command for my men to arm their self-detonation switches every time before they go into combat. If necessary, I could detonate them remotely from my Vanguard."

"You can't be serious! Why are you following such a crazy order?!" Aika asked.

Jensen took over the conversation. "According to the last entry by the captain of the Sword Spirit, the Radam are trying to capture Tarak males to turn into Tekkamen to be used against us. I would guess that Lord Grand Pa wishes to prevent that from happening. From a strategic point of view, I have to agree with him. Right now, we are barely equal to the Radam forces with the alliance between Mejele and Tarak, as well as the other human worlds and the Nirvana's Tekkamen. If the Radam were to produce more Tekkamen, it would tip the scales in their favor."

Aika couldn't help but agree. Just two Tekkamen had done a lot devastation the last time they were in Tarak space. An entire army of them was too horrible to imagine. Then she realized something.

"What about the women of Mejele and those serving on Tarak ships? Does the order apply to us as well?"

Jensen remained silent for a long while before replying. "No. It does not. Apparently, the Radam are not after more Mejele prisoners, nor have we seen any evidence that they had transformed the ones they already have into Tekkamen. I'm sorry to say this, but we can only assume that _NONE_ had survived the process, or we would have been conquered by now. Do not worry though. If we must fulfill the order, then we shall make certain that you and your comrades will be safe before we meet our end. That is my promise."

The former Mejele commander was rendered speechless after her superior had promised her safety before he would die. The men were _WILLING_ to place the women's safety before their own?

Jensen then added, "Now don't get me wrong. We men value our lives as much as you women value yours. We don't just carelessly throw our lives away. And frankly, I feel that General Order Seventy-Five Omega works just much against us as it does for the enemy. At times, I think it works more for the enemy then it does for us."

"You do?" Aika was shocked to hear a man actually disagree with Grand Pa's decisions.

The captain nodded. "I do and so does Old Gun here. Even if the Radam doesn't get any prisoners to convert into Tekkamen, and if the Tarak men were able to escape capture by killing themselves, that only leaves the Radam less enemies to deal with later. We can always make more ammunition and Vanguards, but replacing good fighting personnel is _LOT_ harder. We are literally cutting down our own fighting power every time we implement Order Seventy-Five. Therefore, it is up to the discretion of the commanding officers to decide when and _IF_ to execute the order if there is _ABSOLUTELY_ no other options."

"I see."

Jensen noted his First Officer's understanding of his words, then put in his final comment. "We're not cold machines that blindly follow commands. We're flesh and blood, just like you women. I'm hoping that everyone will realize that when the Radam finally come for us."

* * *

Meanwhile, the ship's Mess Hall

Siloma Ianesk sighed as she gazed at her plate of nutrition pills with a totally bored expression. She absently twirled the spoon in her hands as she contemplated consuming the horrid things or send them out with the rest of the garbage during her next work detail. It had been about ten days since her foul-up with the ventilation system, and her punishment of hauling garbage and cleaning up after everyone else had gotten old pretty fast. She was beginning to wonder if her mess and latrine duty would ever end.

At that point, two of her female crewmates approached her with similar trays of food pills. Shenia Acron and Marika Sterlano nodded to her and asked as if they could sit with her. With Siloma's assent, the pair sat down in front of her. They noted their friend's depression and started to converse with her to alleviate her mood.

"So how have you been doing?" Shenia asked as she took a spoonful of food pills. She chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds, paused, then swallowed. She followed through with successive spoonfuls. She didn't seem to express distaste over the pills in the slightest. Beside her, Marika also consumed her lunch without any complaints.

The young engineer's face scrunched up at the sight of her comrades eating those hated 'Tarak nutrition nuggets.' After watching them eat for a minute, she finally had to ask, "How can you _EAT_ those things?"

Both stopped in their meal, shrugged their shoulders simultaneously, as Marika replied. "Well, they're aren't _THAT_ bad. And after a while you get used to them. I guess you could call it an acquired taste."

Shenia nodded. "It's not like we don't have much variety on this ship and these pills do have their good points."

"What good points can these things possibly have?!" Siloma asked incredulously as she gestured to her own plate.

"Well, for one thing they're not fattening. I think these things are better than any diet I've ever had on Mejele."

"I noticed that too!" Marika agreed. "I found out that I lost FIVE pounds during the last week when I started eating these things!"

The dark-haired Shenia nodded again as she addressed the younger girl. "You eat a small plate of these, and you aren't hungry anymore. It beats those appetite-suppressant pills on Mejele. I lost an inch off my waistline. I'd say in another two weeks or so, I'll finally be able to fit into that old dress of mine."

"Really?" The teenager asked as she looked down at her plate and reconsidered her thoughts of dumping her meal.

Marika nodded again. "It's really easy to count calories with these things. They do save space and are easy to keep. I mean, I remember how hard it was to keep leftovers in my fridge. They always spoiled by the time I finally got to them."

Siloma looked upon her friends in disbelief, then decided to change the subject when she noticed something. "Shenia, were your eyes always brown? And I don't remember your face that shade of skin tone before."

"Hmm?"

The engineer pointed at her friend's face. "Your eyes. I remember them being blue. And your cheeks are less rosy."

"Oh. Well, I lost my colored contacts. I don't need them really, and having sky blue eyes was a fad in the neighborhood I lived in. As for my cheeks, well I ran out of makeup two days ago. Do I look all right?"

"Actually, you look great." Siloma assured her. "I can't understand why you wanted to cover yourself up like that. I think your face looks better without makeup."

"You know, it's strange to say this, but someone else told me that yesterday."

"What's so strange about that?"

Shenia's cheeks blushed slightly as she replied, "It was a _MAN_ who said I looked better without makeup."

* * *

Sitting at a table nearby, Carden Zemer, Sosike Tamar and Kir Lesat were also eating lunch. As they ate and talked, their attention began to focus toward the trio of females.

"So you think she's cute?" Kir asked the lieutenant. "She's a woman!"

Carden shrugged. "Well she's not _THAT_ bad to look at. I mean after she got rid of all that gunk on her face, and I got to see her brown eyes. They got this kind of I don't know cute look. I can't describe the feeling, but every time I look at those eyes, I get this kind of warm gooey feeling. I mean, now that we know that they're not going to suck out of our innards or anything, I could get used to having women around. C'mon guys, don't tell me you haven't been feeling something about them."

Both men paused for a moment, before slowly nodding. Sosike first admitted to his changing attitude toward the women.

"Well, I have to admit that I was really skeptical about the captain volunteering the Fire Heart for this mixed-gender military. But after the first few days, I got used to seeing women around. There's something about them and their presence kind of brightens up a place. It always seems lighter and more easy going whenever they're around. I can't put my finger on it, but they emanate a kind of warmth."

"I felt that too!" Kir agreed. "And have you noticed how they moved? It's a lot lighter and I don't know smoother. And those curves on their bodies? Did you ever notice how soft they are in some places and firm in others? I'm starting to feel things that I'm not too sure I _SHOULD_ be feeling about women."

* * *

Back at the girls' table

"And did you ever notice the men are hard in just about every part of their bodies? They got a lot more muscle than women." Marika commented. "I saw some of them in Engineering Section lifting some heavy equipment without their shirts on. Seeing them lift and strain made me feel I don't know wild."

"Wild?" The other two girls repeated.

"I really don't know how to describe this feeling. The way they move and react. It's harder and more direct. I wouldn't call them graceful, but they're more solid and rugged."

Shenia gave her friend a look of understanding. "I think I know what you're talking about. I've noticed that the men are straight-forward and aren't afraid to voice out their opinions. It's kind of refreshing to get honest answers, instead of the runaround. In a really strange way, I find that part of their personality rather charming."

"Charming? We're talking about men!" Siloma insisted.

"And that's what I find disturbing." Shenia admitted. "The fact that I am actually starting to see something in men that I like."

* * *

Both the men and the women of the Fire Heart were not the only ones who were feeling the ancient, though faint emotions of the genders interacting with each other. Several incidents began occurring on many other vessels that were participating in the mixed-military plan. Even the hard-core extremists against the opposite sex started to find themselves confused, afraid, and in many cased, unknowingly attracted toward their supposed hated enemies.

* * *

The Mess Hall of the Destroyer Sky Blazer

"Hey, Clon." A young lieutenant asked as he waited in line with his comrades to get his lunch. In his hands was an empty tray, plate and utensils.

"What is it Verin?" His friend replied.

"Have you noticed that those women are always FIRST in line for chow?"

Clon looked toward the front of the queue and saw that the female members of the crew were eagerly taking large scoops of food pills at the dispenser.

"Now that you mention it, I have been seeing those women crowding the food dispensers lately. What do you suppose is going on?"

"How should I know? When they first came aboard, they wouldn't come within a hundred feet of a food pill, but now they can't seem to get enough of them."

Clon took on a thoughtful look, then remembered something. "Hmmm, I wonder if it has anything to do with that weird ritual I saw a couple of days ago."

"What ritual?"

Verin's friend shrugged his shoulders. "Well, remember that green-haired female that was assigned to Navigation? I was passing by her quarters and she had her door open. She was standing on this flat, white board. She looked down at the board, then started jumping up and down like a maniac. She started shouting out happily, 'I lost ten! I lost ten! Thank you pills!' I didn't know what to make of it."

"Ten? Ten what?"

"You got me. She still has all toes and fingers, so I'm pretty sure she wasn't talking about those. Then she started bragging to her friends on the comm about how she was finally a size eight."

"Size eight? That can't be right! I've seen her feet! There's no way her shoe size is eight!" (1)

"That's what I thought too. I couldn't understand why she would be happy about her feet getting bigger. And I still can't figure out what she lost ten of."

Both men then started to stare at the women as they gulped down their food pills with gusto.

* * *

The Vanguard Hanger of the Cruiser/Carrier Battle Scar

A red-haired mechanic couldn't help but stare as she watched a large, well-muscled crewmember continually move cannon shells from a transport lifter to the loading conveyors. She was so engrossed in watching him, that her blonde compatriot noticed that she was absently working her console and loading the torpedoes to the main firing tubes backward!

"Wendin! What are you doing?!"

The person in question snapped back to the present as looked down at her workstation. She gulped as she realized her mistake and worked the controls to correct the potentially dangerous situation. After repositioning the ordinance, she gave her comrade an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that, Kian."

The blonde shook her head and said, "Honestly! I can't believe you're so hung up on that Corporal Jenner! He's only a man after all!"

Wendin immediately protested. "Yeah, but look at him! He's so big and strong! And the way he lift things with those big hands! I never seen anyone so powerful and so"

Kian snorted in disgust. "Oh come on! I've seen plenty of women on Mejele with big muscles and they didn't do anything for me! What's the difference between them and big muscles on a?"

It was then that Kian got a good look at Corporal Jenner as he removed his shirt and bent over in his tight-fitting pants. At that point, both girls' attention became solely fixated on his broad shoulders, wide back, powerfully built chest, sinewy arms, rock-hard abs, washboard stomach and tight rear. They began licking their lips when they noticed how the sheen of sweat glistened off his bronze skin.

At that point, they wondered just why it had suddenly gotten hot in the hanger.

* * *

The bridge of the Supply Ship Free Arsenal

"Your coffee sir."

The captain nodded to his new female aide as he took the cup and brought it to his mouth. He paused for a moment as his nose caught an unfamiliar odor from the cup. He gave the girl a puzzled look, then took a sip. His eyes widened as he tasted not his usual Tarak blend of coffee, but something entirely different. He licked his lips and took another sip. The second taste was even better than the first. It tasted like coffee but there was a certain something that made the usual bitter taste seem smoother. He looked back at the aide with a look of amazement.

"This is coffee?"

The girl nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes sir. It's coffee from Mejele. I prepared a double-mocha latt with mint cream!"

"A double-what with what?"

"It's a flavor of coffee that we served on our home planet."

"Flavors? You mean there are other flavors of coffee?"

"Yes. If you don't like this, I can whip up a chocolate spice cappuccino, or maybe a French vanilla espresso with whipped cream? Ooh! Maybe I can make you a cup of my special roast almond, triple chocolate latte with sprinkles!"

The captain stared for minute at his new aide, then gazed down at the coffee mug in his hands. He then shrugged as he began sipping at the coffee and savoring its taste.

'_I don't know if women are really monsters or not, but at least they know how to make a damn good cup of coffee!_'

* * *

Little by little, the men and women began to rediscover each other. And soon their newfound attitudes toward the opposite sex would be put to the test as the Tarak Intelligence Division intercepted an enemy transmission, which would give people of Mejele and Tarak a chance to strike back at the Radam.

However, what they wouldn't know was that Darkon would have very grand schemes to hasten their defeat and subjection.

* * *

Two days later

On the bridge of the Radam flagship, (formally belonging to the Harvesters), Darkon looked upon Dagger and Axe with disdain. He was not at all pleased with their recent failures to capture new candidates for the Tekkapods, but with his new strategy in motion, he would give them the chance to redeem themselves. Since this plan was going to require some finesse and subtlety, he had decided not to include Saber in the new mission. With his burning bloodlust for his half-brother's demise, the Crimson Tekkaman would likely slaughter anyone who got in his way. The Radam Warlord continued to contemplate as the Radam prepared for the next encounter with the united forces of Mejele, Tarak and all those who opposed them.

* * *

Meanwhile on the bridge of the Nirvana

"Captain."

"Yes, what is it BC?"

The First Officer and former Tarak spy nodded to Slade's mother. "We're being hailed by a Tarak Carrier/Cruiser, Registration Number ITSF-978CC." She paused as she read identification profile, then said, "It's the Fire Heart. It's from the 487th Division of Task Force 12. Its commander is Captain Jensen Dar."

"Captain Dar, eh? Do you know of him?" Magno asked.

Buzom nodded. "He's one the youngest officers to ever command a starship, but he's quite capable. I've seen his record. He finished third in his class at the Tarak Academy and is considered to be an exceptional tactician. He's courageous, and not afraid to take chances if the desired results are achieved. In fact, he was the first commander to volunteer his ship for the mixed-gender military program."

"Really? That says much about him right there." The aged woman became very intrigued. For a Tarak commander to volunteer his ship to have females serve aboard it, meant that there were those who did not believe in the 'women were monsters' propaganda and were willing to work with them. Perhaps there was still hope for the human race. She then told her First Officer to open hailing frequencies.

As the main screen flashed on, the pirate captain nodded toward the image of the Fire Heart's captain.

"Captain Jensen Dar, I presume?"

The Tarak commanded nodded back to her. "It is. And you are Vivian Magno of the vessel Nirvana, formally the Ikazuchi?"

"I am. And to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"You're very direct. Very well, I'll get straight to the point. I have just received orders to report to the Command Satellite to take part in a strategic conference for a planned offensive against the Radam. The Fire Heart has been chosen to spearhead the operation. However, since you and your crew have had prior experience in battling the enemy, Lord Grand Pa thought that inviting you to the conference would be in everyone's best interest."

"I see. And the fact that my crew consists almost entirely of females and that I myself am a woman, does not bother you?"

Jensen did not even hesitate to answer. "Whether you're a woman, a man or something else entirely is irrelevant in this matter. What we need are those with expertise and valid opinions on how to best handle the Radam. Since the Nirvana has had the most encounters with the Radam and their tactics, then it would make no sense to exclude you from any strategies that we intend to use against them."

Magno smiled at the man's honest reply. "I can see that you're quite the sensible and practical man I mean person."

Jensen smiled at the offhand compliment. "The conference is at 1700 hours on the 7th level, section 47, tactical room 92. My First Officer and I will see you there. Until then Captain Magno."

At that point, the main screen went blank as the Tarak commander signed off.

Magno sat back in her command chair and remained silent for a long while. Then she turned to her second in command.

"Quite an interesting young man. Reminds me of my son. Tell me more about the captain of the Fire Heart."

The darker-skinned woman, formally a man, nodded as she continued her description. "Captain Dar is also known to be a bit unorthodox, and has been known to enlist some of the most questionable of recruits."

"How questionable?"

"His crew mainly consists of military dropouts, undesirables, problem cases, those who are continually insubordinate, those with discipline issues, and in several instances, those who have criminal records."

"Really?"

"And despite all that, the Fire Heart is considered the most efficiently run vessel in the fleet with an outstanding combat record. This says much about Dar's leadership skills and ability to get the most incompatible of personalities and attitudes to cooperate for the greater good."

"Sounds a lot like the crew on the Nirvana, don't you think?"

Buzom gave her captain a puzzled look.

Magno responded with a whimsical expression. "Oh come now BC. Surely you could see the similarities? We've got those who have no where else to go, those with criminal records, the undesirables, the disenchanted and a LOT of girls who didn't agree with the government or the ideals of our former planet. We've been through a lot together and just about everything we've done has been unorthodox."

The First Officer considered her words, then nodded in agreement. "I can't argue with that kind of logic. I suppose we really are similar, though we may be different in terms of Vanguard pilots."

"How so?"

"The Vanguard Squadron under Dar's command is among the best, if not THE BEST of the mecha fighters."

"They're that good eh?"

BC nodded again. "The Fire Heart is home to 152nd Vanguard Platoon of the Space Marine Corps. They're better known by their call sign, the Brawler Brigade."

"Brawler Brigade?"

"A bit colorful though very accurate description of the unit. They're led by Gunnery Sergeant Hikar Fulson. His crewmates call him the Old Gun. Now I'm not saying that Slade didn't do an exceptional job of training the Warrior Squadron. I'd rate them to be to Level A recruits for the Vanguard Divisions. However, the Old Gun's unit is rated to be Triple S. They may take hits that would normally reduce a Vanguard into scrap metal, but they always pay back the enemy TEN times over. We should consider ourselves lucky that we went up against raw trainees during our raid on the Ikazuchi. Old Gun's unit would have torn our Dread squadrons to pieces."

"You seem to have very high opinion of this captain and his crew."

"I met them once at an awards ceremony. It was about a year before I joined up with your crew. I've followed their exploits and I consider them to be not just good soldiers, but also good people who put the welfare of others before themselves. I've read secret reports and heard from various crewmembers of what Captain Dar has done in the past in order to make things work. He's persevered each time, despite the bureaucracy, paper work, and of course all the pompous upper brass who didn't understand what was needed to get the job done. Some of his deeds have bordered on being criminal, though never proven. One time, a minor lieutenant related to me a story about one of his escapades."

"Do tell. I'm getting more and more interested about this crew and their captain."

BC smiled as she began telling the story. "It was about two-and-a-half years ago, when Dar first took command of the Fire Heart. At that time, it was poorly-equipped and supplied. They were suffering from a lack of spare components, supplies and unfair food rationing. Captain Dar did all that he could to keep the Fire Heart going and get it up to minimum fleet standards, but it soon became clear to him that going through regular channels was not going to work. So, he found a shortcut."

"I can't wait to hear this."

BC's smile became even more pronounced. "Simply put, Dar decided to make like a pirate and take the things he needed."

"Now I'm _REALLY_ starting to like this captain."

"Well, that's what he did. The lieutenant who told me this, swore by it. Dar staged several covert operations to raid some high-ranking officers and politicians of their secret food caches. Many of his crew, who hadn't been eating enough for weeks, were finally getting three decent meals a day. As for the spare parts and supplies you do recall my telling you of his enlisting of those with criminal backgrounds? Well, he put those skills to use as they hacked into quartermaster databases and supply depots to reroute the needed material indirectly to the Fire Heart, instead of going to some overfed crews and ships belonging to arrogant commanders. The upper brass were so upset over the robberies, they had thought it was the work of some anti-government terrorist group. They kept sending orders to the Fire Heart to track down the culprits."

At that time, Magno let off a chuckle at the tale. "And he got away with it?"

"No one has _EVER_ been able to come up with any evidence linking him and his crew to the crimes. They left nothing for the authorities to trace, and they only stole enough to get themselves started. Now they're the most efficient ship in the fleet and Captain Dar had set up a system to make certain that his crewmates are never without the necessities."

"A captain who puts his crew's welfare before his own is all right in my book. I look forward to seeing him and his First Officer. By the way, what kind of man is his First Officer?"

BC smiled again. "That's another thing about Captain Dar that's unique. His current First Officer is from Mejele."

* * *

The Command Satellite, 1700 hours

Magno, BC, and Slade walked down the hallway toward the Conference Room where the next offensive plans would be made against the Radam. The pirate captain and her second were expecting tension from the bigheaded members of the upper brass when they would arrive, but hoped that the common enemy would keep the more sensible people focused on the task of defeating Darkon's forces. As for Slade, Grand Pa had requested that a representing Tekkamen be present.

The three arrived at the Conference Room door and were admitted inside. Inside was a large table that was surrounded by admirals, commodores, and high-ranking officers. In the center of the table was a holographic screen that was currently projecting an area of space beyond Tarak's solar sector. Sitting in a large, ornamental throne was Grand Pa. Beside him was Grand Ma.

Magno nodded to them and looked about the room. To her disappointment, she noted that there were very few females present, which meant that whatever plans were made were most likely going to be male-dominated. Then she caught sight of Captain Jensen Dar at the table and a certain female sitting beside him.

'_So this is Dar's First Officer, eh?_'

When Magno and the others took their seats, the meeting began.

* * *

Aika Shan didn't even know why she was even at this tactical meeting. From the looks she had gotten from the high-ranking Tarak officers and the lopsided ratio of females to males, she had a feeling as to how the conference was going to go. When Jensen told of the upcoming tactical meeting, she initially turned down his invitation to attend. Then when he pulled rank and turned the invitation into an order, she had no choice but to obey. However, he then surprised her when he contacted Vivian Magno and invited her to take part in the planning against the Radam.

She put those thoughts aside as the holographic panel in the center of the table lit up. An aide began explaining the images being displayed.

"This information was obtained by the Intelligence/Reconnaissance Divisions at Sentry Station A-9. As you may or may not know, the Imperial Fleet has several outposts located on the edge of Tarak's system and each have been monitoring the enemy transmissions for the past few days. They have also been gathering information about the Radam's strength, numbers, and movements."

The holograms then started to show images of the Radam's main weapons. Several different variations of Spider-Crabs and the known enemy Tekkamen were prominently displayed as the aide continued. "As you all must know, the bulk of the Radam forces consist of several types Spider-Crabs and the armored warriors called Tekkamen. Apparently, the Spider-Crabs are used as cannon fodder and seem to react instinctively. The Research and Development teams have studied their remains and have come to the conclusion that the Spider-Crabs are not actually sentient and can be considered as techno-organic automatons. This is further supported by the information provided by the Nirvana and its encounters with the Radam and the former Harvester Fleet. It is both their theory and ours that the Spider-Crabs are actually transformed Cube Fighters. As such, though they are able to withstand great amounts of damage, they can be stopped individually. However, their sheer force of numbers is extremely problematic."

The display then concentrated on Darkon's Tekkamen. "The enemy Tekkamen that are known to us are Saber, Axe, Rapier, and Dagger. We consider these to be the commanders of the Radam battle forces, by directing the Spider-Crab hordes and supplement the battle forces. The Tekkamen has proven to be invulnerable to virtually all types of conventional weaponry and even heavy-grade particle beam cannons. And I need not remind anyone present of the horrendous casualties we suffered two weeks ago from just two Tekkamen, and the recent losses of the Steel Will, the Sword Spirit and the Blade Breaker."

"Are you saying that these Tekkamen can't be stopped even with a 100-megaton quantum-burst warhead?" One of the admirals asked.

Before the aide can answer, Slade spoke. "No. That won't stop them. I should know. I've taken that kind of punishment before and I survived. You can be certain that those other Tekkamen will be just as tough."

These words put the Tarak and Mejele officers on edge. They were just barely able to hold their own against the Spider-Crabs. What would happen to them if the Radam were to attack them with all of their Tekkamen?

It was at that point that the aide provided some good news. "As powerful as the Tekkamen and Spider-Crabs are, we have learned an important factor about them. They are NOT infinite. And now we have an opportunity to reduce their numbers and increase our chances of defeating them when they finally attack Tarak."

This caught everyone's attention as the aide manipulated the hologram screen controls. "With all the intelligence gained through our own sources, as well as from our allies, we have learned that the Radam forces need a continual supply of resources to sustain their immense numbers of Spider-Crabs and their Tekkamen. All of the former Harvester Cube Fighters, by our estimates have been expended and creating a Spider-Crab from scratch takes a huge amount of energy and material. To produce a Tekkamen requires a hundred times more. We have intercepted and decoded several enemy transmissions stating that the original amount of resources taken from the Harvesters is nearly exhausted and that the planet Mejele will soon be unsuitable as a breeding ground for Spider-Crabs."

That last bit of information made all the Mejele officers and Grand Ma apprehensive. Aika was the first to voice out their fears.

"Are you saying that even if the Radam are defeated, we can never return to Mejele?"

The aide took a deep breath, glanced toward Grand Pa for a moment, then replied in a solemn voice. "I'm sorry. According to all reports, the Radam have practically gutted your home world. They are planning to leave it and conquer other planets in order to feed their war machine. Tarak is their primary target since it is strategically located. Though it is barren, they want the citizens as Tekkamen and can use our world as a jump-off point to conquer the other human-populated planets."

Aika and the other women were struck dumb at his words. Their world was gone and they were forever resigned to live on Tarak with the men. All hopes of ever returning to Mejele were dashed. However, she immediately steeled her resolve as she silently vowed revenge on the Radam for the loss of the women's world.

The aide continued. "Though the loss of Mejele is regrettable, its imminent demise has given us some valuable information. The Radam can be stopped and if we deny them the resources they need to survive, then we will prevail. And now, we have just discovered that a very large contingent of their forces is heading toward a strategic position just outside of the Tarak system. The target is this." The display switched to an image of a large planetoid.

"This is K-97, one of our most heavily-armed outposts, aside from the Sentinel Satellites, and is completely self-sufficient with its own manufacturing plants and resources. Many of our capital ships have used K-97 for re-supply, repair and refit. The Radam are planning to take over K-97 and use it as a base of operations against us. If K-97 falls, then the enemy will be position to strike directly at Tarak once the interference waves subside. We have very good evidence that the Radam will send a large invasion force, consisting of four carriers, and several smaller defensive vessels for protection."

"Carriers?" Another Tarak officer asked.

"What we refer to as enemy carriers, are actually these." The aide then presented them with images of large, mile-long, wedge-shaped vessels that looked like oddly-formed fish. "We have learned that the Spider-Crabs have limited range and are normally stored in hibernation in these vessels until they are deployed. We estimate that each carrier can hold up to an average of three hundred Spider-Crabs with a limited ability to produce more. We're talking well over twelve hundred to be brought against K-97. According to all reports, the Radam possess at least ten of these carriers. So far, they have used them sparingly, and our allies have been able to hold them at bay. They haven't mounted any major offensive after the conquest of Mejele. This means that they are building up their forces and gathering material for an all-out invasion of Tarak. We have an opportunity to even the odds. If we can take out these four carriers, then we can set the Radam back and provide us with more time to prepare. Furthermore, the boost in morale would be substantial. Members of the War Council, it is in the best interests of everyone that we strike a great blow against the invaders!"

At that point, there was a cheer among the Tarak and Mejele officers as they unanimously agreed to the proposed plan to bring the fight to the Radam. Several hours would pass as they debated the best way in which to face off against the attack. Most of the officers and even those from Mejele voted to send out everything they had to annihilate the invasion force. It was about to be the main plan of action until one voice called out.

"I don't like it!"

Everyone turned in shock at the owner of the voice. The person who had stated his disapproval stood up. Everyone, including his own First Officer, became silent as Captain Jensen Dar faced Grand Pa. Then the old man addressed the young officer.

"Captain Jensen Dar. You disapprove of the idea of sending out the bulk of our forces to meet the impeding threat?"

"I do, Lord Grand Pa. Though I do agree that a victory at this point would boost morale immensely, I cannot go along with this idea of sending out everything we have. It's too easy sire. I feel that this is playing into the Radam's hands. Station K-97 is important and must be defended, however, we cannot just blindly send out good fighting men into what could be an elaborate trap."

"A trap?"

"Yes sire. And there are others who agree with me, and have some ideas of how to counter."

"Who?"

Jensen then gestured to the officer to his right. "May I present to you my First Officer, Aika Shan. I believe she will be able to explain fully why we should not proceed with a full-scale assault."

This made the Tarak men gasp in horror while the Mejele women gasp in disbelief. A man was actually suggesting to let a women plan out the attack?

Aika found herself in a state of shock as her captain motioned for her stand in front of Grand Pa and the War Council. It was true that she didn't agree with using all of their forces to repel the invasion, but for her captain to suggest that she give her opinions to the council was absolutely unbelievable. Jensen gave her a reassuring smile and waited for her to rise from her seat. As Aika gazed into the blue depths of her commander, she felt a confidence rising within her. She gave him a nod and rose to face the leader of Tarak and the former ruler of Mejele.

Then she spoke.

* * *

Some time later

"You wanted to speak with me, Commander?"

Aika nodded as she walked into the captain's office and sat down in front of his desk. She took a deep breath and paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. She then said, "Captain, I would like to talk about what happened at the Conference today. I would like to know"

"Why I spoke out against the War Council and suggested that you explain the reasons?" Jensen finished.

Shan nodded vigorously. "Yes."

"It's quite simple Commander Shan." Jensen replied with a slight grin. "While the upper brass were all gung-ho on taking the Radam head on, I saw by your expression that you agreed with my opinion to meet the enemy with caution. You know as well as I do, that the Radam are after the men to turn them into Tekkamen. Bringing out a large force would give the enemy an excellent opportunity to capture some of our number. Even with General Order Seventy-Five Omega, there's no sure guarantee that we'll be able to prevent them from taking anyone. Furthermore, if something goes wrong and we lose a large part if not all of our ships and men, then Tarak will be left defenseless."

"I see. But even though I agreed with your opinions, I didn't expect you to have me suggest the plan of repelling the invasion, much less have the rest of the War Council go along with it!"

"That's also easy to explain." Dar said. "I read over your combat record and tactical ability. You're very insightful when it comes to countering enemy maneuvers and your previous experience with the Radam is also in your favor. It would have been a waste not to use that expertise. Since the representatives from the Nirvana supported your opinions, that gave your ideas merit on how to handle the Radam. And when that Tekkaman Slade powered up and transformed, even those stubborn idiots from the Tarak brass listened." Jensen chuckled a bit at the memory.

"I still can't believe that they're all going with my suggestions, especially with those from Tarak. And I still can't believe that you"

"Commander." The Fire Heart's captain stood up and looked her in the eyes. "It's not a question of gender that I judge any of my new recruits. It's a question of ability and whether or not the person can do the job. I make it a point to give each new crew member a chance to prove his or her worth. If you can't do that, then you have no business whatsoever to be on the Fire Heart. Which is why I decided to let you show those pompous admirals and commodores what you are capable of. This also to help smooth things over between the genders and promote more cooperation. We need that unity if we are to defeat the Radam. Does that answer all of your questions?"

Aika nodded, then asked, "Oh, and speaking of giving each person a chance to prove his or her worth, I was wondering if"

"You were wondering about Engineer First Class Siloma Ianesk, correct? I've been considering about her current punishment. As of now, her punishment is to be temporarily suspended during the course of this operation and she will be on probation. If her conduct and performance is satisfactory, then she will be reinstated to her normal position with all privileges restored."

"Thank you, Captain."

Jensen Dar nodded as he then reached for the general comm button on his desk's console. He then addressed the crew.

"Attention all hands. Attention all hands. This is the captain speaking. The Fire Heart has just received orders to take part in a major offensive against the enemy. All leaves and disciplinary actions are to be postponed until after the operation is over. All hands to your stations! We are on combat alert! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill! It's time we show the enemy why the Fire Heart is the point of Grand Pa's Knife!"

* * *

In her quarters, Siloma Ianesk stared at the intercom in amazement. All of a sudden, she was no longer hauling garbage. She shook herself out of her stupor as she quickly hauled out her coveralls and prepared to meet with the rest of the Engineering Staff.

* * *

At the same time, on the bridge of the Nirvana, Magno and her crew were also preparing to move out. As she sat in her chair, she thought back fondly to the Tactical Conference. She was very impressed with Jensen Dar and how he defended the opinions and ideas of his Mejele First Officer. Then, when the more obstinate Tarak officers started to protest, they immediately became silent when Slade transformed. That allowed Aika Shan to fully explain her ideas on how to meet with the enemy and even the male officers had to agree that her tactics were brilliant. In the end, the full-scale attack was barely outvoted in favor of Shan's counter-attack plan.

Now, the alliance between Tarak and Mejele would soon be tested in the heat of combat.

To be continued

**Author's Notes**

Wow! This was a long one and I needed to break it somewhere. In the final part of chapter 12, we'll see the men and women in their most intense confrontation with the Radam, and we'll also see some more development between Slade and the girls. We'll also get another surprise as well. See you there!

(1) Dress size eight. Of course the men of Tarak don't know anything about dresses. 


	31. Chapter 12, Part 4: Battle of K97

**Tekkadread the Second Stage**

Disclaimer: All the characters mentioned in this story belong to their respective creators and I'm just writing for fun.

' ': Thoughts _****_

Italic & Bold: Captain's Log

**Chapter 12**

**Part 4**

**Battle of K-97**

On the bridge of the Fire Heart, Captain Jensen Dar sat in his command chair and thought back to the most recent entry he had made in his log. His thoughts also turned back to the time of the Tactical Conference

* * *

_**Captain's Log, Entry 4991; Mission date 877; Acting on the suggestions from my First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Aika Shan, the War Council had implemented the following modifications to Operation 94-96, in preparation for the approaching Radam invasion force heading toward Station K-97; **_

_**1) The task force being sent out to meet with the invaders will consist of no more than two heavy carriers, three carrier/cruisers, including the Fire Heart, and a defensive screen of six destroyers and the former Ikazuchi, now known as the Nirvana. The initial plan to have the bulk of the fleet sent out to meet the enemy has been rejected due to the possibility that the Radam forces may be greater than what was originally reported, and leaving Tarak defenseless. ** _

_**2) An auxiliary force of three heavy battlewagons and two heavy cruisers will remain on standby in the inner regions of the Tarak system and will be contacted if needed for support. The remainder of the fleet will maintain their defensive positions around Tarak's planetary orbit. **_

_**3) The main objective will be the reported four Radam carriers and any other threat to Station K-97. My First Officer agrees with my opinion that a concentrated strike at the objectives only, would be more effective than a general head-on confrontation. Lieutenant Commander Shan has also implemented several contingency plans should the enemy employ any surprise tactics or added numbers. **_

_**Since we will be essentially outnumbered using these tactics, the Fire Heart, Nirvana and all other ships in the operation will be governed by the principle of calculated risk, in which all commanders will interpret to mean the avoidance of exposure of their force, to attack by superior enemy forces, without good prospect of inflicting, as a result of such exposure, greater damage to the enemy. **_

_**Long live Grand Pa and Grand Ma. **_

_**Captain Jensen Dar End Log Entry **_

* * *

The thoughts of the captain of the Fire Heart came back to the present as Aika approached him and saluted. There was a fire in her eyes and a sense of determination emanating from her very being. It was clear that she was feeling the same as all the other women when they learned that Mejele was lost forever. They wanted to avenge their home planet and pay the Radam back a billion-fold.

"Captain. All ships have reported in and are now heading toward the rendezvous point. The Fire Heart is ready to get underway with the Nirvana, and the heavy carriers Sunburst, and Talon. The cruiser/carriers Battle Scar and Blood Fang are with the destroyer compliment and support vessels. They will meet with us in five hours."

"The location and the name of the rendezvous point?"

Aika paused for a moment, then replied. "The location is at Gamma Forty-Nine, and the code name was suggested by one of Grand Pa's aides. The rendezvous spot was given the designation of Point Luck." She then took the second-in-command's chair beside the captain's.

Dar gazed at the female officer for a long while, then said, "Sounds like some damned prayer but it's appropriate." He swiveled his chair toward the front of the bridge. "Helmsman, take us out."

"Aye sir!"

* * *

Out in space, the Carrier/Cruiser Fire Heart began moving out from its normal standby position at Space Dock 42 in orbit near the Command Satellite. Unlike the boxlike shapes of the heavy and medium cruisers, and the slender, arrow-shaped destroyers, Jensen's vessel was like a combination of the two. From the bow of the ship to the midsection, the Fire Heart was tapered with a flat runway on both sides to launch and retrieve fighters. From the midsection toward the stern, the ship took on a cube-like design which had two, huge, four-barreled, particle beam turrets mounted one on top of the other on a staggered slope facing forward. In the rear were the main warp and impulse drives, mounted on four nacelles. Situated behind the turrets, was a short superstructure which housed the main bridge. On the underbelly was another particle beam turret to protect below and behind the ship. Located in strategic areas all over the ship were forty-eight, dual-barreled electron-pulse guns, twenty-four ion-burst guns, eighteen hyper-impact cannons, sixteen quad missile launchers, and four quantum torpedo tubes in the front, two in the aft, and two on either side. And of course, the Fire Heart also had the 152nd Vanguard Platoon of the Space Marines, better known as the Brawler Brigade.

A new modification to the Fire Heart was the addition of a launching bay in the underbelly, which now housed a squadron of Dread Fighters. The upper flight decks had also been adapted to launch and retrieve Dreads, as well as Vanguards. In addition to the twelve crewmembers that had transferred from the Crimson Twilight, (including his First Officer), Jensen Dar had also accepted a contingent of Dread pilots who had volunteered to serve alongside Aika and her compatriots. These women were a mixture of Mejele pirates and military. In all, Dar was in command of 650 personnel on his ship, with overall authority among the 6700 men and women in the strike force.

And he was going to need every one of them as the Fire Heart headed toward the rendezvous point.

As he watched the main viewscreen in deep contemplation, his First Officer's thoughts also drifted back to the time of the Tactical Conference

* * *

Flashback

Aika Shan was more than a little nervous as she stood before the tactical display table while the War Council looked on. To be given the right to speak and the opportunity to prove her tactical ability before the men and her superiors in the Mejele military had not been expected. She glanced toward her Captain, who gave her an encouraging nod. She then took a deep breath and started to explain her plan to push back the Radam invasion force.

"Members of the Allied War Council. It is of my opinion, and that of Captain Jensen Dar, that the Radam's intended assault of Station K-97 has its own ulterior motives. Though the capture of the station would provide the Radam with a strategic position in order to launch direct attacks against Tarak, the invasion force in itself may be an elaborate trap."

"A trap?" One of the Tarak admirals said with a condescending tone.

Aika nodded, ignoring the man's sarcasm. "Though we all know that the Radam forces are not infinite, they still possess the numerical advantage over our combined forces. The enemy has sent out a considerable assault force to take Station K-97 and we must respond in order to prevent it from falling It is also a good opportunity to reduce their numbers."

"Which is the reason why we should send out all of our forces to crush them!" An impetuous captain from Tarak cried out.

Aika shook her head. "No. That may be what the Radam want us to do!"

That statement quieted the officer as Grand Pa spoke. "Explain yourself, Lieutenant Commander."

Aika took another deep breath, as she addressed the supreme ruler of Tarak. "Grand Pa I had been informed by my Captain that you had recently issued General Order Seventy-Five Omega."

The elderly man paused for a long while before replying. "You are correct."

"And it is also my understanding that the reason you issued the order was to prevent the capture of any man from Tarak, for fear that he might be turned into a Tekkaman to be used against us."

"Correct. However, each and every Tarak officer is to execute that order as an absolute LAST resort. I do not care to throw away good men's lives."

"Indeed, however as Captain Jensen also informed me, General Order Seventy-Five Omega works against us as well as the Radam. It will cost us valuable crews and material, not to mention leave our enemies with less to contend with later on. Furthermore, sending out the bulk of our fleet would give the enemy a far greater chance to capture some of their number, or at the very least reduce our fighting forces. It would be a terrible waste."

"A waste you say?" Grand Pa said with a knowing tone.

"Yes." She bowed her head slightly in embarrassment before continuing. "If there's anything I've learned from serving aboard the Fire Heart, it's that being wasteful is a crime on Tarak. And in this case, we can ill-afford using so much to deal with a relatively small force, when we must SAVE our resources for the larger battles ahead. Therefore, I propose that we only send out a limited number of ships and fighters to turn back the Radam assault on K-97. In other words, we use _JUST ENOUGH_ to do the job."

This statement caught everyone by surprise, especially the men of Tarak. To think that a Mejele woman would actually praise their way of living and take such conservative measures. Then, many of the admirals and commodores became a bit ashamed at their previous plan of sending out the entire fleet, which made them feel wasteful.

Aika then used an beam pointer at the tactical display. "My proposal is to use focused attacks on the Radam carriers. Their main attack potential is in their Spider-Crab hordes, and if can take the carriers out and their manufacturing facilities, then we can drive the Radam back and give our forces more time to build up for the eventual invasion of Tarak. I suggest that we position a counterstrike force at these coordinates, where the quantum wave interference will mask our presence, and we will be able to attack them once they begin attacking K-97."

"Interesting." A bearded vice-admiral commented. "So what you're proposing is that we bushwhack them. Not bad. I like that."

"Bush whack?" The silver-haired female repeated in confusion.

Dar then approached her and tapped Aika on her shoulder. When she looked over her shoulder he explained the term. "It's an old-term ambush tactic. They still use that term when hunting Shelari. They place bait out and when the Shelari attack it, the hunter comes out, (normally from a bush), and kill it from behind while it's occupied." He then addressed the War Council. "I believe that my First Officer's plan is more feasible than a head-on confrontation. We can send more supplies to bolster up K-97's defenses, and force the Radam to deploy a large number if not all of their Spider-Crabs. This will leave their carriers more vulnerable to our counterstrike forces. We can trap them between two sides and cut them off." He turned back to Aika. "That about sum it up?"

Aika grudgingly smiled at her superior's summation of her plan. Then she heard another sneering voice.

"Not bad for a woman! So what are you going to do if the Radam deploy their Tekkmen?"

Everyone turned their attention to a greasy-looking Lieutenant Commander who was one of the hardcore woman-haters. He gave Aika an arrogant smirk as he believed he had found the loophole to her plan.

Grand Pa gave the officer a harsh glare which cowed him, then addressed Aika. "He does raise a valid point. Though your plan has merit, you have yet to explain how to deal with the possibility that we might encounter Saber or the other Radam Tekkamen."

Just as Aika was about to respond, Slade stepped forward while holding out his crystal. He raised it aloft and shouted.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

In a flash, he became a Tekkaman, capturing the attention of all those around him. There was a long silence before he finally spoke.

"I guess that's where the Nirvana comes in, right?"

* * *

End of flashback

After that display, the War Council immediately became anxious to listen to the rest of Aika's plans. In the end, when it was put to a vote, her plans won by a 52 majority. Now it was going to be up to Fate whether or not the right choice was made.

* * *

On board the Nirvana, Slade bench-pressed several tons in the gym, as he mentally prepared himself for the coming battle. This would be the first major engagement since that incident with Saber. The stakes would be high and this would actually be the first time he and the Mejele pirates would be on the offensive, instead of waiting for the enemy to attack.

Slade and two of the other Tekkamen would be used as backup in case Saber or any of the other henchmen of Darkon's would appear. Though it would have been safer to bring all of the Nirvana's Tekkamen with them, it was decided that some of them had to stay behind in order to defend Tarak should the operation fail. Magno's or rather Nodoka's son Slade was the obvious choice, due to his experience with both the Harvesters and the Radam, plus his leadership with the Warrior Squadron, (which incidentally would be working with the Brawler Brigade).

As for the rest, they wanted to take part, but some couldn't due other responsibilities. Ghaleon Viperson aka Tekkaman Phantom had eagerly volunteered. His stealth abilities would prove very useful in the planned ambush against the Radam. Duero had to decline due to his position as a doctor first and a Tekkaman second. He also had to assist his father in training the Tarak Ground Forces for the eventual invasion. Barnette would lead the some of the Dread squadrons, since she couldn't form Tekkadread Blade without the physician. Meia, though she wanted to take part in the attack, had to stay behind and oversee the preparations at Heaven's Haven. Jura would not be going as well, since she had been elected by Grand Ma to act as a kind of liaison for the Mejele civilians, who were trying to adapt to life on Tarak. Her experience with living alongside men would be essential to smooth over any cultural shocks.

That left only Dita. Though she was less experienced than the others in using her Tekkaman abilities, Slade needed someone who was familiar with the battle tactics of the Nirvana and could work alongside the Vanguards. He felt that she needed more combat experience and there was no time like the present to get acclimated. Though he was somewhat uneasy in letting her take part in such an important mission, he knew that he could depend on her when the chips were down. And after all this time, he had really gotten used to her bubbly personality, and Slade had started to notice some other things about her.

Just as he finished with his reps and sat up, the very same person he had been thinking of came into the gym. She was wearing her standard outfit and had a bit of an apprehensive look about her. Slade nodded to her as he wiped his forehead with a towel. He beckoned for her to approach. She nodded to him and walked toward him, then sat down beside him on a nearby bench-press station.

"Mr. Alien?"

Slade let off a tired sigh and shook his head. "You know, it's been a while since you called me that, and it's _STILL_ really annoying."

"Sorry, old habits die hard."

"Why did you call me that? You've got to know by now that men aren't aliens."

"I know. I knew even before I met you."

Slade was taken by surprise by her admission. Normally, she would appear as a flighty airhead, but now she was showing a kind of seriousness that seemed... out of place. "You did? Then why did you keep calling me that?"

Dita twiddled her fingers in her lap while she looked down at them. She then replied. "Well, I had never met a man face-to-face before, so I guess in a way, you were an alien to me. And you were so strong and brave, with real superpowers. No one else had them, so can you really blame me for thinking you were an alien?"

The White Tekkaman considered her words, and nodded. "I guess you've got a point there. Tekkamen arent exactly commonplace."

"And there was another reason why I called you Mr. Alien."

"What was it?"

Dita's face took on a deep blush. "Well, it was my special name' for you."

"Special name?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean?"

The redhead paused for a long time before replying. "Anyone can call you Slade or Ranma. But I was the only one who called you Mr. Alien and that made me feel special and I thought that maybe that made me special to you." She winced at her admission and quickly said, "I'm sorry! That must have sounded really stupid!"

Slade shook his head and patted her shoulder a bit. "No. You don't need to call me Mr. Alien just to feel special, because you _ARE_ special."

"I am?"

He gave her a small smile. "Yes you are. Even if you had never become a Tekkaman, there's doubt in my mind that you are special. You were always looking on the bright side and you're very dependable when I needed you to be. You were always there to pick up everyone else's spirit, even when they didn't want it, but needed it. And I'm glad that you'll be fighting with me on this mission."

This statement picked up her spirits as some of her cheerfulness came back to her. "Really? That's great! I'm really nervous about going up against the enemy without Meia and Jura going with us."

"You'll do fine, Dita. It's natural to be nervous when going into battle. I'll be there to help you and so will Ghaleon."

"Thank you Mr. A I mean... Slade."

"Atta-girl."

There was another long pause before Dita changed the subject. "Slade?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering when we beat the bad aliens, what are you going to do? Are you going to leave us?"

"Well I'm not too sure. I haven't really thought about it much. I don't really have any place to go. I have no home."

"What about your mother I mean, the captain?"

Slade shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Well, she and I are getting along and all, but I really haven't thought about staying with her after the war is over. I've been mostly alone for as long as I can remember. Even when I was Ranma Saotome and training with my good-for-nothing father, I had to do just everything by myself, and it was Hell. Then, when I awoke as a Tekkaman, centuries later, I found that there was no home for me on Earth. By that time, it was the Harvesters' world. So I headed out into space, trying to find my place in the universe; jumping from planet to planet. I never stayed long in one place, but you already know that."

"Yes." Dita nodded as she remembered back to when he had told her about his previous voyages before coming aboard the Nirvana. "So does this mean that you're planning to go back out into space after we beat the bad aliens?"

"I don't see anything else I can do or where I can go. Like I said, I have no home."

There was another long pause between them before Dita finally spoke in a quiet voice. "Maybe you can call my home your home."

This caught Slade by surprise. "Huh?"

Dita's cheeks blushed as looked into his eyes. She gave him a shy smile. "What I mean is you don't have anyone or any place to return to, right? So I was thinking that maybe you could find a home with me?"

"What?"

It was at that time, the red-haired girl decided to be bold and show the object of her affections the scope of her feelings toward him. She leaned forward until her face was just a scant few inches from his. She framed his face with her hands and said, "It is said that home is where the heart is. Well, you can call my heart your home."

It was then that she leaned even further toward him and their lips met.

Taken by surprise, the White Tekkaman made no move and let the kiss happen. His thoughts raced as he started to consider her unspoken offer. And he had to admit, it didn't seem all that bad. Then his mind pictured images of Jura and Meia. He also saw the faces of Ukyo and Xian Pu. When he and Dita finally broke off their osculation, his face held an expression of uncertainty.

The young Tekkaman known as Sapphire nodded in understanding as she stood up. She gave him a comforting smile and said, "I know. You don't have to give me an answer right now. I can wait. I just wanted to let you know how I felt about you and that you'll always have a place to go to when you need it."

She gave still confused Tekkaman a wink as she stood up and walked out of the gym.

* * *

On the Nirvana's Flight Deck, Parfet nodded as her engineering team finished with the final adjustments to the Dread Fighters and the Vanguards. During the last week, she had worked with the Tarak and Mejele forces to implement the technological countermeasures and weapons the pirates had developed against the Harvesters and the Radam. A large number of the Tarak fighters were now armed with quantum-energy rifles, while the Mejele pilots had Tekkasuits for auxiliary firepower. There was also another innovation Parfet had developed recently which would play a big part in Aika Shan's plan. It was still in the experimental stage and there was no time for testing. It would get its baptism of fire in the coming battle.

The Dreads of the Task Force were being outfitted with new augmentation units which were being attached to their undersides. They were armed with extra missile launchers and a special surprise for the Radam. However, in order for it to work, men and women would have to cooperate or perish under Darkon's rule.

The brown-haired girl sighed as she watched her work crews labor about. She then began thinking about Duero and how he would not be going with them this time. Then she looked toward Barnette's Dread where her rival for the doctor's affections was going though her own preparations for the coming battle.

Things were going to get very intense.

* * *

Five hours later, on the Fire Heart

"Captain, we have just arrived at Point Luck." Aika said as the ship began converging with the other vessels of the Task Force.

They were several parsecs from Station K-97 where it was reasoned that the Radam invasion fleet would appear, since it had the least amount of quantum energy interference. It would be here that the combined forces of Mejele and Tarak would lie in wait. However, the area they would meet with the enemy was vast and there was still the possibility that Darkon's forces might come out in another location. Therefore, the Task Force was spread out with several squadrons of Dreads flying recon.

Now, all they could do was wait

* * *

In the Engineering Section, Siloma took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she worked at her station near one of the ship's fusion drive reactors. This was the first time since coming aboard the Fire Heart that she was given relatively unsupervised access to the control systems. Ever since that incident with the tear gas in the ventilation ducts, most of the men in Engineering were wary of letting her near any of the vital machinery and circuitry. For the most part, whenever she performed her duties, one of the engineers would keep a close watch on her to make certain that she didn't try anything other than what was required to keep the vessel running.

The Head Engineer, Willard Zona nodded as he watched the new recruit from afar. He had to admit that she possessed some considerable engineering talent. After that debacle with the tear gas, he had secretly studied her modifications and conceded to himself that they were exceptional, though somewhat haphazard. The ideas were innovative, but she needed guidance. She was energetic, but also required to be cautious when pursuing a new idea or invention, especially when it concerned the safety of the crew.

The Fire Heart's Head Engineer had read her record and was impressed. Before the Crimson Twillight's self-destruction, Siloma had been considered as a kind of engineering genius, and had made some remarkable modifications and makeshift repairs that would have made a Tarak maintenance crew proud. With only improvised parts and ingenuity, she had saved her vessel from destruction several times. In a society that was known for wasting resources, her inventiveness was rare and refreshing.

Now that she would be given a chance to show her full potential, Willard was actually looking forward to what she was really capable of.

* * *

Some time later

Jensen sat in his office and contemplated the coming battle as he read over the strategy that Aika had laid out. At that moment, his First Officer entered.

"Captain?"

"Come in, Commander." Dar motioned for her to sit in front of his desk as he brought up the holographic display of the surrounding sector. "Report?"

The Mejele woman nodded as she saluted him and sat down. "Our reconnaissance groups haven't spotted the enemy fleet yet."

The Tarak captain nodded. "I didn't expect them to find anything so soon." He gestured to an area on the screen. "There's a lot of area to cover and the Radam can show up anywhere in this sector. It's where the quantum energy interference is the lowest. We can't do anything but wait. Personally, I don't like the idea of waiting for our opponents to attack our people, but in order for this plan to work, we need to lure the Radam in. But I suppose that's war."

"Yes." The silver-haired female agreed.

"By the way, Commander. I'm a little curious. Whatever gave you the idea for an ambush?"

Aika was silent for a very long time before finally responding. "I was once the victim of an ambush. I learned firsthand how a smaller, less powerful foe can defeat a larger and stronger one by deception, and catching the enemy off-guard."

"Really?" Jensen thought back to what he had read in her combat record, then made the connection. "This wouldn't happen to be that incident that cost you a promotion two years ago, would it?"

Shan's expression tightened a bit , then relaxed as she let off a sigh. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you. You're right. That incident did cost me a promotion. The Mejele High Command was not happy that I lost to a Tarak destroyer that was all but helpless... or so I thought. I was over-confident, and that robbed me of the victory. They faked being helpless to draw us in closer. They were not as damaged as we had believed. Then they deceived us with plasma mines and an EMP bomb. Before we knew it, they disabled the Crimson Twilight and had the opportunity to destroy us. It was just by pure luck that they decided to spare us and leave."

Jensen Dar hid his expression well as his First Officer related the story. He knew at that moment which Tarak destroyer had defeated her. Talk about one of life's great twists!

Aika continued with her explanations. "I suppose it's ironic that I'm serving aboard a vessel that bears the same name as the one that defeated me. I looked up the records of the previous ship that was called the Fire Heart, but I could not find the name of the officer who defeated me."

"And what will you do if you ever find this person?"

"Well a part of me is angry at him for costing me my promotion to captain, but another part can't help but admire him for outmaneuvering me. His playing dead' tactic was the perfect bait, and when the EMP bomb disabled my ship's sensors, he came in from behind and... what was that phrase again?"

"Bushwhack?"

"Yes, that's it. He came up from behind and bushwhacked me."

"So are you still angry at him? Do you still want revenge?"

"I don't know. Now that my people and yours are working together, harboring a grudge against him seems to be pointless. What I know for certain is that I WANT to meet with him face-to-face. I want to know what kind of person he is. I've learned on this ship not to judge solely on outside appearances and that I should not make any judgments until I know all the facts."

"I see." Jensen considered the woman in front of him and made a decision. "Well, if that's how you feel, then it might be good for you to know that this person you're looking for may be closer than you think."

"What do you mean?"

Before he could answer, the intercom buzzed to life.

"Captain Dar!"

"Yes?"

"The enemy has been located!"

The Tarak nodded and immediately switched on his intercom. "All hands, general quarters! Man your battle stations! Man your battle stations!" He then looked back at his First Officer. "I'm afraid that we'll have to finish this conversation later."

"Understood Captain."

* * *

Sirens went off on the Fire Heart as the crew quickly headed toward their positions to prepare for the coming battle. In the hanger decks, the Vanguard and Dread pilots began readying their fighters. In the main ordinance bays, men worked intensely to load the missile and torpedo launchers. The main guns were prepped to fire, as well as the secondary batteries. In less than a minute, the pride of Grand Pa's knife was prepared for action.

On board the Nirvana and the other ships of the task force, similar actions were taking place as the first of the recon fighters were returning from their search. The Radam were starting their attack on K-97.

It was now time to put Aika's plan in motion.

* * *

"Status of the enemy location and movements?" Dar asked as he and Aika took their seats in the bridge.

The communications officer nodded to Jensen and replied. "The Radam have been sighted at coordinates 99-40-22 at Point Delta Nine. The attacking force is consisting of two of their carriers and several dozen support ships. Station K-97's defensive squadrons are currently engaged with the Spider-Crabs which number in excess of five hundred."

"Two carriers?" Aika said in puzzlement. "Intelligence reported that there were four Radam carriers."

Jensen nodded. "I know. Looks like we figured right. These carriers are just the bait to lure us out. We have to respond in order to defend K-97, but that will most likely be the time the other two carriers will come out to trap us. And of course, we haven't heard of any sightings of the Radam Tekkamen. They'll most likely show up to bolster their Spider-Crabs."

"But we do have our own Tekkamen to counter them."

"Yes, but there's the possibility that they may have planned for that. In any case, there are two definite targets that we can attack. It's time to make our move." Jensen turned to his communications officer. "Send word to the carrier Sunburst, the cruiser/carriers Battle Scar and Blood Fang, and all of their support ships. Inform them that they are clear to engage the enemy. The Fire Heart, Nirvana, Talon and all other ships will remain on standby."

"Aye sir!"

* * *

On board the heavy carrier Sunburst, Commodore Jetz Riken, began issuing orders for the Dread fighters and Vanguards to scramble. As the sleek female craft launched off the carrier, they made a banking turn toward the underside of the ship to receive the male mecha.

One of the new modifications to the Dreads was the addition of linking ports which allowed the Vanguards to dock with them. Dreads had the advantage in speed and range, so they would carry the men into battle like troop transports. Each Dread could accommodate two Vanguards. Once engaged with the enemy, the Tarak pilots would be ejected for close-quarters combat and fire support. They would also add additional firepower and defensive measures while attached to the Dreads.

A squadron of Mejele pirates streaked toward the launching bay as Vanguards were being catapulted into the starry void. Immediately, their Dreads began adjusting their speed and trajectories to match that of the male machines. The Vanguards fired off their grappling cables to catch their respective partners. As they made contact, they reeled themselves in to hook up with the Dreads.

In one Dread, a red-haired Mejele pirate nodded as her instruments indicated that her assigned partners had made contact with their grapple cables. As the two mecha pulled themselves onto the attachment ports on top of her fighter just behind the cockpit, the pilots activated the magnetic clamps to secure themselves to her ship. Both Vanguards lay in the prone position as additional communication and power cables merged with the Dread's systems. The Dread pirate smiled as her panel lit up with the extra power reserves and ammunition the Vanguards provided, which offset the increase in weight. Flying beside her, the rest of her squadron flawlessly performed the docking maneuvers and were now heading toward the battle zone.

* * *

On Station K-97, the Radam forces were pounding the Hell out of the defenders, but the men of Tarak refused to retreat nor surrender. As the hordes of Spider-Crabs continued to descend toward them in waves, the defensive guns and missile batteries let loose with unending barrages of explosive projectiles, energy bolts and shells. Though they had their protective barrier up, the mindless monsters of the Radam swarmed all over like ravenous locusts. Some managed to get through and were met by the Vanguard pilots that were part of the garrison stationed there. As the Spider-Crabs slowly began gaining the upper hand and the defenders were forced back, the reinforcements from the Task Force arrived.

As the forces dived toward the melee, the Mejele fighters began fast passes against the waves of Spider-Crabs. In addition to their own armaments, the Vanguards that were attached to their Dreads began laying down defensive fire like protective gun turrets. As the Dreads pulled away after making their attack runs, they disengaged their male counterparts to drop down on the beleaguered station, in order to support the crews against the Radam forces that had gotten through. Soon, there was a vicious, close-quarters conflict on the asteroid's surface as the men of Tarak went head-to-head with the alien horrors. Explosions erupted all over as pilots and Spider-Crabs were slaughtered. Above them, Dread fighters continued to provide cover but they too were being hard-pressed to keep the enemy at bay. Casualties began to mount on both sides.

However, with the added reinforcements, the crews of Station K-97 slowly started to force the Radam off the asteroid and back into space. As Darkon's forces fell back, the Mejele and Tarak allied forces pressed the attack. Soon, the Radam Spider-Crabs were in full retreat and headed back toward their carrier, with the Dreads picking off the stragglers.

It seemed that the humans had won the first round

* * *

On one of the carriers of the Radam fleet, Axe and Dagger watched the main view screen as the results of the initial attacks were displayed. As expected, the Spider-Crabs were repulsed, but not without cost. The station's defenses were nearly annihilated and a good number of fighter pilots from the Dread and Vanguard squadrons had been drawn out and destroyed. Now it was time to tighten the noose. Though not a single Tarak man was taken prisoner, it wouldn't be long before Darkon had suitable candidates for the Tekkaman Power Process.

* * *

On the Fire Heart's bridge, Jensen looked over the casualty figures and frowned slightly. Technically speaking, the objective of defending Station K-97 and keeping it out of the Radam's control had been achieved, for the moment. However, a considerable number of pilots had been lost and the remaining fighters could not be recalled back to their carriers, since that would leave the station totally vulnerable. Its defensive units were depleted and it needed the fighter cover from the Dreads and Vanguards. As a result, they would have to remain where they were.

The Tarak commander didn't like it. Already the overall Mejele and Tarak forces were being divided and reduced. And even though the enemy could not replenish their numbers as quickly as they could on their home world, they could still replace what they had lost, while the human side only had a limited amount of resources and personnel.

Aika looked over the data beside him and nodded as she began thinking along the same lines. She gestured to a spot on the screen and said, "The Radam forces seem to be heading toward this sector over here after that strike on K-97. That may be where their carriers might be."

"It's possible." Jensen concurred. "But we don't know HOW many of their carriers are at that spot. And there's no guarantee that they're there at all. It could all be a trap to draw our forces into a place where they can ambush us."

Aika nodded again. "Then why don't we send out a recon team to look over that sector? See what's out there."

"All right. But I want them out no more than 20 minutes so we can pull them back if we need them. Signal the Nirvana and the other Cruiser/Carriers to do the same. We have to knock out those carriers before they have a chance to regenerate more of those Spider-Crabs."

"Aye sir."

* * *

On the Nirvana, Barnette nodded as she received orders from Magno to launch a reconnaissance squadron to search her sector of space. As she began prepping her fighter, she began feeling a sense of loneliness, as this would be the first time in a long while that she would be heading out on her own. Before meeting up with the good doctor, she and Jura had always flown together. Then, when she and Duero had become Tekkadread Blade, the Dread Fighter pilot had felt a sense of closeness and intimacy that she had never experienced before.

The brunette put those thoughts aside and concentrated on the task at hand. The sooner this mission was over, the sooner she could see Duero again.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later

In a small sector of space just a few parsecs from Station K-97, one of the recon teams was just at the edge of its search range when the squadron leader picked up the presence of one of the Radam carriers. She then began relaying her findings to the rest of her group and the strike force. Then she decided to take the initiative.

"Indigo Leader to Indigo Wing. Prepare to attack at coordinates 42-69-27."

This caused an uproar with both the men in the Vanguards and the women in the Dread fighters.

"Commander, we were ordered to perform recon, not engage the enemy!"

"We have a prime opportunity here!" The impetuous female insisted. "That Radam carrier doesn't have any Spider-Crab cover present, which means it's in the process of regenerating. If we turn back now, then we'll have to contend with it and more Spider-Crabs when the fleet engages with them again! We have to take this chance now!"

There was a moment of silence among the squadron as they considered their leader's words. Then, one by one, each signaled their agreement to follow her into the attack, though the men voiced their misgivings about the idea of taking on the carrier.

There was no turning back.

* * *

Aboard the Radam carrier, Dagger smiled as the small squadron began making its attack run. Though he and Axe would have preferred an assault from a larger force, this would be their first opportunity to capture some of the Tarak men. There were fifteen Dread Fighters, each with two Vanguards attached. That meant thirty potential subjects. Judging by how they fought during the attack on Station K-97, the female fighters would release the male mecha to provide support cover while they made strafing and bombing runs. It would be a simple matter to separate the two genders, destroy the Mejele fighters and take the Tarak men prisoner.

As the first few Dreads started closing in on the carrier, Axe gave the order to open fire with the carrier's defensive guns and to send out Spider-Crabs to intercept.

* * *

Two hours later

Jensen sat in his captain's chair while in deep thought. It had been some time since Indigo Wing had reported the location of the Radam carrier. Then all communications were cut off as they had announced that they would attack the enemy.

The Tarak man didn't like it. This was just playing into Darkon's hands, and he could only hope that the squadron was either successful in its attack or was able to escape without losing any of its pilots.

Beside him, Aika gazed at her superior with some concern. Just as she was about to say something, the communications officer called out to the captain.

"Captain! We've just received a transmission from Indigo Wing! They've just appeared in sector X-29!"

"On screen." Dar commanded.

The officer nodded as he activated the main view screen. Jensen frowned as he saw only five, badly-damaged Dread fighters and no Vanguards. Then the image switched to the cockpit of the leader.

The squadron leader had a sorrowful expression as she gave her report. "Captain Jensen Dar, this is Lieutenant Willa Simes of Indigo Squadron"

The Tarak commander gave her a stern glare as he said, "Lieutenant, you were under orders to perform reconnaissance, NOT to engage the enemy!"

The Dread pilot nodded as she bowed her head in shame. "I apologize for my error in judgment. We engaged the enemy in the hopes that we could lessen the odds, but the carrier proved to be too much for us and we were forced to withdraw."

"I count only five of you. Does that mean that the rest have been captured?"

"No sir. The other ten Dreads were destroyed and we would have joined them if it weren't for the Vanguard pilots. They stayed behind to cover our retreat and activated their self-detonation charges to prevent being taken prisoner. If it weren't for them none of us would have made it back." It was at that time the Dread pilot began breaking down in tears. "They warned me not to attack them and I didn't listen!"

Jensen nodded and let off a small sigh. "Understood Lieutenant. You and your fighters are to rendezvous with the Carrier Sunburst and await further orders. Jensen out."

As the view screen went blank, the Tarak man let off another tired sigh as he started to contemplate the repercussions of the failed attack. This would certainly not help the operation and yet, the fact that thirty brave men sacrificed themselves to save the women could aid in boosting the alliance between the genders.

Jensen only wished that the price wasn't so high. How many more would be lost before men and women would finally work as one? It was at that moment that the Tarak commander came up with an idea to get the Radam to tip their hands.

"Commander Shan."

The silver-blond female nodded to him. "Yes Captain?"

"So far this battle has been according to what the Radam want, and we've been purely on the defensive. It's time we take control and get the enemy out into the open. We're going to start using those tactics you came up with. Signal the other carriers and support ships, as well as the Nirvana. We know the location of at least one of enemy carriers. If it gets attacked with a much larger force, then we should be able to draw out the other three."

"And what about the enemy Tekkamen?"

"That's why we brought Slade, Phantom and Sapphire with us. The counterattack will commence in one hour."

"Aye Captain."

* * *

Later

In her quarters, Willa Simes sat on her bunk with her head bowed down in her hands and was sobbing quietly to herself. In her mind, she replayed the events which had caused her the loss of most of her squadron and sent thirty courageous men to their deaths

* * *

Flashback

"Lieutenant! We're taking heavy fire and we haven't scored any hits on that carrier!" A blonde Tarak sergeant name Tomiske Rendor cried out as he and his wingman provided coverage for Willa's Dread.

"Keep giving us cover while Indigo 4, 9 and 12 make their attack runs!" The Mejele pilot commanded as she banked her ship towards the Radam vessel. However, as she did so, her communications system became flooded with the terrified screams of her squadron.

"Indigo nine here! I'm hit! I can't arrgh!"

"Indigo two! For Grand Ma's sake, get them off me!"

"I can't hold it! I'm aaaaaahhhh!"

"Nooooo!"

Before Willa's horrified eyes, her systems began registering the deaths of her comrades at an alarming rate as the Dreads were cut down. One fighter careened out of control and crashed headlong into the carrier. However, the thick hull easily withstood the impact with only the slightest of damage. More and more Spider-Crabs came at them in unending swarms.

The Tarak pilots were releasing huge amounts of cannon fire, beams and missiles, but the Radam horrors kept on coming. More than half of the men were forced into close-quarters combat and were able to hold their own, but even they could not stop the enemy. Each Vanguard pair was assigned to cover a Dread fighter, and when it was destroyed, then they would assist in protecting the remaining members of the squadron. But as the battle continued, it soon became apparent that the humans could not win this encounter. As the Dreads were whittled down to a paltry five, the lead Vanguard pilot decided that it was time to cut their losses.

"All remaining units, fall back! Fall Back!"

Willa shook her head and screamed out. "Belay that order! Stay on target!"

The same Vanguard pilot shouted back. "Negative Lieutenant! We can't hold them! We have to get back and report the carrier's location!"

"I told you to stay on target!"

Then her remaining Dread pilots called in.

"He's right, Lieutenant!"

"I'm out of ordinance and my power packs are low!"

"I've sustained too much damage! We have to get out now!"

"Please Lieutenant! For the love of Grand Ma!"

Willa held back an anguished cry as she nodded and said, "All units, fall back to the Sunburst!"

As the surviving Dreads broke off and started to make their escape, a large horde of Spider-Crabs sped out to intercept them. As Willa and her fellow wingmen saw the oncoming monsters, they prepared for a head-on confrontation. At that moment, the remaining Vanguards linked up with their fighters via grappling cables. However, instead of hooking up to their attachment ports, they instead moved up the fuselages and stood near the front with blasters ready.

"Sergeant, what are you doing?! You and your men get linked up now!"

The blonde man shook his head as he replied. "No can do, Lieutenant. The only way to get past that blockade is to shoot our way out! You and the others are out of ammo, so we'll have to blast a path in order for your Dreads to get through!"

"But what about you and your men?!"

"We'll only slow you down if we link up. Besides, the Dreads are faster and have greater range. You'll be able to tell the commanders about the carrier's location. Good luck!"

"_NO! YOU CAN'T!_"

Willa's plea went unanswered as Tomiske gave his men his final orders. "_ALL VANGUARDS! TARGET COORDINATES 00-49-87! FULL BARRAGE! OPEN FIRE!_"

The mecha let loose with a murderous and concentrated storm of firepower directly in front of them. The Spider-Crabs fired back with acidic blobs of goo as they charged in recklessly. Despite taking heavy hits, the Vanguards stood their ground and continued to fire forward. The escape pathway was made but not without cost. One by one, the male machines were cut down as the Dreads continued forward. However, as each Vanguard was taken out, the pilot activated his self-detonation device to avoid capture and to provide a distraction for the escaping fighters. Once activated, the cockpit of the mecha ignited in a contained explosion which destroyed much of the upper torso. As they neared the end of the blockade, only Sergeant Rendor's Vanguard was left standing.

At that moment, his machine began taking heavy hits. Willa watched in terror as the right arm of his mecha was blown off, then several more blobs heavily struck the chest armor and right leg. Then the head was shot off. Still, the brave Tarak man kept firing. Then it happened.

A very large Spider-Crab dived down at them and would have crashed right through Willa's cockpit if Tomiske's Vanguard hadn't moved to block it. The monster and machine collided heavily with each other and the momentum knocked them both off the bow of the Dread.

As the Dreads were about to make their getaway, Willa switched to her rearview scanner and saw the final moments of the brave Tarak officer. Over the communications line, she heard his last words

"Damn you Radam bastard! I'm taking you with me!"

_**CLICK! **_

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she heard the unmistakable sound of the self-detonation switch being activated. Then both the Spider-Crab and the Vanguard were engulfed in a large, orange-red globe of light. Unlike his men's, Tomiske had his self-detonation device set with a more powerful charge in order to take out any nearby enemies along with himself.

That final act was enough to distract the enemy long enough for the Dreads to make their final escape back to the fleet.

* * *

End of flashback

Willa cried even harder as she remembered the selfless actions of the sergeant and his men. It was her fault that they were gone, along with her squadron mates. Until that time, she had been like the rest of the Mejele populace who considered the men as barbarians and monsters. To think that they would willingly give up their lives to save them. It practically destroyed every belief she had been taught since birth.

Then she realized that as their commanding officer, it would be her duty to inform the families that they had died in the line of duty by her own actions.

* * *

On the Nirvana

Slade nodded as he received the orders to prepare for combat. As he quickly made his way to the launching bay where Pegas was waiting for him, he was joined by Dita and Ghaleon. Both had their Tekkacrystals in hand and determined looks on their faces. As they entered the launching bay, Slade called out to Parfet, who was directing the final preparations for the Dread Fighters.

"Parfet! Are they ready?"

The bespectacled girl nodded as the last of the modifications were being installed.

In addition to the new linkup ports for the Vanguards, the Dread's underbellies were being fitted with large augmentation pods that carried a huge supply of armor-piercing plasma bombs. This gave the fighters a greater assault capability. Unlike the other Dread fighters in the fleet, the Nirvana's ships would have female Vanguard pilots, namely Xian Pu, Ukyo and the other members of the Warrior Squadron.

Dita immediately boarded her Mini-Dread and inserted her crystal into the activation port. Ghaleon was given a Dread of his own as he was one of the few dozen men in the fleet that had qualified as a fighter pilot. Slade greeted his robotic partner as Pegas finished its recharge and rearming cycle.

"Pegas! Power on!"

"Affirmative!"

Warning lights and klaxons continued to sound off as everyone prepared for battle.

Things started to get intense

* * *

In minutes, the Dreads and Vanguards were well on their way toward their targets. In the lead, the Tekkabot, Dita's Mini-Dread, and Phantom's Dread flew in a tri-formation. As they neared the combat zone, Slade contacted his comrades from inside Pegas.

"All right, Dita, Ghaleon. We're about 10 minutes from the initial contact point. Are you all set to carry out the plan Commander Shan laid out?"

"Roger." Ghaleon replied.

"Ready to kick some bad alien butt!" Dita said cheerfully.

Slade then switched to the Dread formations and their Vanguard support squadrons. "Barnette, we'll be initiating the first attacks. Once it commences, you and the other Dread squadrons will come in and make your attack runs. How are the Vanguards?"

Jura's friend nodded. "The Warrior Squadron is ready to deploy along with the Grim Reapers, the Hell Raisers, the Bloody Bastards, and the Head Hunters." '_These men certainly have some colorful squadron names._' Barnette mused.

"What about the Brawler Brigade?"

At that point, Old Gun appeared on the communications feed. "Don't worry about us, Tekkaman Slade. My boys are ready to go. And I've got to hand it to our new First Officer. She really came up with one HELL of a plan. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Captain Dar would have come up with a crazy scheme like this."

Slade smiled as proof of the cooperation between the genders was evident. With a common enemy to fight against, the males and females had cast aside their differences. However, it was very unfortunate that such a breakthrough was under very dire circumstances.

The combined Dread and Vanguard forces neared their objective as Slade and the other Tekkamen prepared to engage the enemy. The plan was to take on any of Darkon's warriors and provide cover for the Dreads as they make their attack runs on the carriers. The Spider-Crabs were to be dealt with by the Vanguards. As they neared the combat zone, Slade's attention turned toward his threat monitors as they lit up with incoming bogeys as huge swarms of the Radam horrors charged to meet with their human attackers. In the distance, two of the reported four carriers continued to spew out more Spider-Crabs.

Slade nodded as he made his Tekkacrystal appear.

"_TEKSETTER!_"

In a flash, Tekkaman Slade exploded forth from Pegas as Dita and Ghaleon began letting loose with a wide stream of laser and particle beams. Slade immediately switched to his Tekka-Battle Mode and started darting in and out of the formations of the monsters, obliterating dozens of them in seconds.

Less than twenty seconds after the White Tekkaman started the assault, the Dread Fighters split off into their assigned attack groups while releasing their Vanguard allies from their connection ports. The mecha warriors started engaging the defending Spider-Crabs with pulsar rifles, auto cannons, missile pods and various close-combat melee weapons.

The Grim Reapers were armed with battle-scythes equipped with plasma energy-charged edges. The Hell Raisers skewered their targets with powerful techno-tridents. The Bloody Bastards preferred to smash into their opponents with massive war-hammers. As for the Head Hunters, each member could butcher his enemies with a pair of double-bladed axes. Many of the female Dread pilots could only gape in amazement as the male fighters tore into the Spider-Crab hordes with an awesome ferocity. In almost no time at all, holes in the enemy defense lines began to appear, which the Dreads to take advantage of, as they speeded toward their objectives.

The surface of the Radam carriers began to shift as more openings appeared. However, these did not expel more Spider-Crabs but large volleys of acidic goo and solid projectiles that were as hard as the monsters' claws. It was their version of anti-fighter batteries. Several Dreads were torn apart as the females made their attack runs.

Three squadrons of Dreads started to strafe the surface of the carriers as they drew the anti-fighter batteries away from the Dreads who were charged with the task of bombing the enemy ships. The new augmentation pods Parfet's teams had installed, began to open up and release their payloads. Small but powerful plasma bombs were dropped. One Radam carrier shuddered as over a dozen of the weapons scored direct hits on its aft sections. The Dreads swung about to make another pass. The pods then began firing off volleys of anti-proton torpedoes. The carrier took another series of hits and started to drift off-course. After expending their payloads, the attacking Dreads jettisoned their augmentation pods, allowing them to drift away. The pods, rectangular in shape and several times larger than a Vanguard, floated harmlessly past the enemy carriers.

* * *

On the Fire Heart

"Captain, we've just received word that one of the Radam carriers has been incapacitated." Aika announced. "The fighters are now concentrating on the second carrier."

"Any sightings on the two remaining carriers?" Dar asked.

"None so far." His First Officer checked her console. "Wait we're starting get some new anomalous readings"

"What kind of readings?"

"Long-range scanners are starting to pick up some faint signals through the interference. Visual sightings from our scouts are coming in. The signals have been confirmed! Visual confirmation as well! It's the two other carriers!"

The Fire Heart's captain nodded as he studied the tactical display on the main view screen. "They're coming in to outflank us. It's a classic pincer maneuver. While our forces are dealing with the first two ships, the other two are going to try encircle them and divide our numbers."

"The carrier Talon is launching its fighters for a counterstrike."

"Have all cruisers and destroyers provide support. Begin readying our reserves for deployment."

Aika nodded as she began relaying his commands. Then she let off shocked gasp as her tactical view screen began reporting massive casualty numbers among the fighter groups.

"Captain! The entire Emerald wing has been totally wiped out!"

"Wiped out? How?"

"I'm getting reports that something just appeared and obliterated dozens of squadrons in seconds! Correction! Now I'm getting reports of three enemy fighters that are causing havoc among the Dreads and Vanguards! Judging by the rate in which our forces are being destroyed, that can only mean"

" that the Radam Tekkamen have arrived." Jensen finished as he witnessed more casualty numbers come in.

The battle was becoming bloodier by the minute, and Jensen Dar knew that there would be many more funeral pyres and empty bunks in the barracks, before this day was done. Then his First Officer gave him even more bad news.

"Captain! We have three new contacts approaching!"

"Three?!"

"Yes sir! We have confirmation! The total number of enemy carriers, not counting the first one we crippled, is six! I repeat, we are up against _SIX RADAM CARRIERS!_"

"It's a trap!"

* * *

The battle zone

Slade gritted his teeth as he mixed it up with Axe. The bloodthirsty Tekkaman had shredded through one of the fighters wings as soon as he appeared. The Nirvana's Tekkaman tried to stop him from slaughtering more of the human forces, but the brute was tenacious. The problem was further compounded when his allies Dagger and Rapier joined the scene. Dita immediately transformed into her Tekkaman form to engage the female agent of Darkon, while Ghaleon became Tekkaman Phantom to stop Gunner from tearing up the Vanguard squadrons.

However, as the three Tekkamen managed to hold back their opponents, more Spider-Crabs came onto the scene. It seemed that the intelligence concerning only four Radam carriers had been a ruse. The enemy numbers were far greater than was originally believed, and now the Mejele/Tarak combined forces were in danger of being overwhelmed.

* * *

"_DIE!_" Axe cried out as he made a swipe with his weapon and sent a wicked crescent of energy toward Slade.

Nodoka's son managed to avoid the attack and sent several Tekkarangs at his opponent in retaliation. The projectiles were deflected away as Axe came in to cleave Slade in half. The two space warriors made several passes at each other, trying to bring his foe down.

* * *

In other part of the battle zone, Tekkaman Sapphire released a volley of energy arrows at her adversary, in which Rapier parried effortlessly with her sword.

"_WHERE IS SHE?!_" Rapier screeched as she tried to skewer Dita.

The red-haired Tekkaman barely managed to twist her body enough to avoid the thrust, then swung her bow like a quarterstaff. "Who?"

"That blonde bitch! I'll make her pay for what she did to me!" The Radam Tekkaman then made a series of vicious slashes, which Dita managed to deflect.

As she took a closer look at her enemy, she noticed a jagged mark on the front of Rapier's faceplate, then realized who she was talking about.

"Whoa! Do you mean Jura? She did that?"

"I'll make her suffer for marring my face! I'll rip out her hair by the roots! I'll cut up her face into bloody chunks! _NOW WHERE IS SHE?!_"

Dita shook her head as she jetted away from the enraged Tekkaman to get some distance, then launched another volley of arrows. "She's not on this mission! You're just going to have to settle with me!"

"You?! Don't make me laugh! I only came today to settle my score with that blonde floozy! You're not even worth my time!" Dita's opponent easily dodged the arrows, then swiped with her blade at speeds that would have shredded a Vanguard into scrap metal in seconds.

Though her close-combat skills had improved over the last few weeks, Dita was still considered a rookie in terms of being a Tekkaman. She was forced backwards, then received a savage kick to the midsection. She was sent careening into a horde of Spider-Crabs, who immediately crowded around her and tried to crush her en masse.

As her opponent disappeared within the swarm of Radam horrors, Rapier let off a snort of disgust then turned around to take out her frustrations on a nearby squadron of Dread fighters. However, as her attention was focused on destroying the Mejele pilots, a sudden explosion erupted behind her.

The group of Spider-Crabs that had trapped Dita was enveloped in a blinding globe of destruction as multiple streams of light shot out from its center. Just as the monstrous creations were obliterated, a lone figure then fired off an insanely huge barrage of arrows at her target. Rapier only had a heartbeat to turn around and began evading the shots. To her shock, each energy arrow suddenly exploded into a dozen smaller bolts and scattered like cluster bombs.

Try as she might, she couldn't avoid or deflect them all with her sword. Several of them scored direct hits on her upper body and legs. As she was momentarily distracted, Dita seized the opportunity to charge in. Just as she came up to her, the redhead powered up her bow and released one massive arrow at near-point blank range. Rapier had no hope of dodging the shot as it slammed into her like a huge battering ram, and exploded with the equivalent force of ten tons of TNT.

The Radam Tekkaman was sent crashing into the side of one of Darkon's carriers and skidded across the surface like a flaming meteor. Dita dived after her while continuing to shoot off her arrows like a machine gun.

"So am I worth your time now?" She taunted.

Rapier let off a roar of outrage as she picked herself out of the trench she had carved in the hull of the carrier, and rocketed up toward her attacker.

* * *

In another section of space

Dagger was having a bit of difficulty with his opponent Phantom, as Ghaleon's stealth ability gave him a decided advantage. So far, the invisible Tekkaman was making quick strikes with his sword, in order to wear down his foe. Dagger already had several gashes in his armor. As he continued to fire off his own energy bow at seemingly empty space, he started to consider his adversary.

'_Hmmm we don't have much intelligence on this Tekkaman. His stealth power evades even my sensors. However_'

As Dita had done with Rapier, Dagger decided to fire off a volley of arrows which exploded into several swarms of smaller shots. The projectiles exploded in all directions. No matter where Phantom was, he couldn't avoid them all.

A section of the star-studded void exploded as a faint outline was sighted by Dagger. He let off a shot, which tagged Phantom in the shoulder, causing him to become visible. Then Dagger pressed the advantage as he fired another volley at him. As Ghaleon found himself being surrounded by energy bolts, Dagger slammed into him.

The two continued to tangle with each other as the battle raged on.

* * *

Back on the Fire Heart, Dar frowned. The engagement was not going well as the Radam forces were on the verge of overwhelming the human positions. He had to credit the Radam for their surprise attack and for bringing in extra reinforcements. However, the Tarak and Mejele fighters had their own trump card to play.

As he watched the readouts on the main display, he drummed his fingers on his console. Then as the Radam forces crossed into the critical zone between themselves and the main attack groups, he nodded toward his First Officer.

"Commander it's time."

Aika Shan nodded as she gave the signal to begin the surprise counterattack.

* * *

In the empty vacuum of space, several dozen rectangular containers floated by three of the Radam carriers. They were the spent augmentation pods that Parfet's teams had created for the initial attacks. The sensors of the Radam vessels registered them as nothing more than useless debris and no action was taken against them. However, that was to be their first and final error.

As the Radam carriers passed them by, the pods suddenly exploded apart as a subspace signal was received from the Fire Heart. From within each pod, a pair of Vanguards streaked out and headed toward the unsuspecting enemy ships. Each mecha had the identification numbers of the 152nd Vanguard Platoon of the Space Marines. Each fighting machine also sported the insignia of the Brawler Brigade, which had an image of an armored fist.

In his Vanguard, Old Gun let off a war cry as he led his team toward their objectives.

"All right you bastards! LET'S RUMBLE!"

Each of the pilots signaled to their leader as they converged on their targets. The Radam carriers were caught totally off-guard by the sudden ambush. By the time they started to defend themselves, several of Old Gun's subordinates had already boarded via exit ports and breaches in the hulls.

The Brawler Brigade members were famous for their close-range savagery. Their skill at mecha combat was prominently displayed as they started tearing out the insides of the carriers. The Radam ships began to suffer like giant behemoths with intense indigestion as the Vanguards smashed through power relays, regeneration systems and incubating Spider-Crabs.

One such Vanguard, piloted by Zet Finnar AKA Boomer, was laughing like crazy as he entered a large area filled with developing Spider-Crabs and what appeared to be the main power reactor. His machine opened up various panels on its body, revealing an unbelievable array of missile launchers. Technically speaking, he could have just aimed for the main reactor to take out the carrier. Two or three missiles would have done the job. However, he activated his targeting computer and aimed for just about every available spot in the area. He then made a grand show of thumbing the firing stud.

Beside him, the Brawler's medic Gin looked at his comrade with concern and a somewhat edgy expression.

"Uh, Boomer? Overkill?"

Boomer smiled evilly and replied, "DAMN RIGHT!"

He then pushed the firing stud.

* * *

In open space, the Old Gun was leading three of his men on an attack run at the main launcher of another carrier, when he noticed that the adjacent ship suddenly split in half, due to a massive detonation near its center. He then noticed two streaks of light as they headed out of the center of the explosion and into space. He recognized the two mecha and hailed them.

"Boomer? That was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes sir!" Zet replied happily as he made his way toward the next carrier to blow up.

"Good job, Boomer! But easy on the ordinance! Our missile and bomb stocks are already strained, without you going overboard!" Old Gun shook his head while smiling, then hailed the medic. "Gin, make sure he comes back in one piece. I don't want him blowing himself up along with the enemy!"

"Sir!"

* * *

On another carrier, an intense bloodbath was taking place within the bowels of the ship. However, it wasn't the Spider-Crabs causing the chaos. It was mostly due to one Vanguard pilot. And as far as his comrades were concerned, he was free to rampage as much as he wanted, as long it was against the enemy.

Kir Lesat's Vanguard was armed with various weapons, both edged and projectile-based. And he used them to great effect, especially in close-quarters. Spider-Crabs fell in droves as their limbs were quartered, their exoskeletons imploded, and their guts spilled in rivers of gore. The schizophrenic pilot didn't even register the hits his machine was taking as he continued the wholesale slaughter. He had a maniacal gleam in his eyes as he cut down his foes like a lawnmower cutting down crabgrass.

Several of his fellow pilots could only watch in morbid fascination and with a bit of unease as Kir's Vanguard waded through the throngs of Radam creatures, leaving slimy and bloodied chunks in its wake.

"Do you think we should support him?" One of the pilots asked.

"I don't think he needs it." The second one replied, then gulped as Kir's Vanguard produced a wicked-looking chainsaw blade from its right gauntlet. The Vanguard then plunged its weapon deep into the skull of a Spider-Crab, shredding its primitive brain, and causing its body fluids to spray all over his mecha. He then proceeded to use the severed claw of a Spider-Crab as a bloody and grotesque club, smashing the brains of several more of the monsters.

"Yeah, let's just leave him alone. You know how he is when hes like this." A third pilot said as he gestured to his comrades to follow him. "Let's go and set the charges."

The trio made their way toward the ship's center and set the timers on delayed detonation packs at the base of the primary reactor. Fifteen seconds later, they made their way back to the main hanger where Kir was just finishing off the last of his opponents.

"Sergeant Kir! The charges are set! We've got fifteen seconds to get out of here!"

Lesat looked with his Vanguard's scanners, at the carnage he had caused, and shrugged his shoulders while sighing.

"Might as well go. I just ran out of playmates."

After the Vanguards made their out, the carrier shuddered as the bombs went off. Though not as spectacular a demise as the one blown up by Boomer, the carrier became a useless hulk as its main power source was destroyed, along with its regeneration matrices. By a sheer stroke of luck, the carrier listed to one side and collided with another, taking it out of action as well. In less than two minutes, the Radam numbers had been significantly reduced.

* * *

With the surprise attacks of the Brawler Brigade, the human forces started to push the enemy back. Several of the Dreads made a series of attack runs at another carrier, in what could be seen as a futuristic version of the ancient practice of dive-bombing. The Mejele pilots still had some ordinance left in their augmentation pods and used them all up as they streaked toward their target in an arc. Then as their pods ran dry, they jettisoned them at the carriers like bombs.

The pods exploded apart, revealing their hidden Vanguard pilots and their mecha. The machines landed on the surface of the carrier and let loose with their electron-pulse rifles. Four of the men managed to send some missiles down a launching port, just as a horde of Spider-Crabs were being sent out. The explosions plugged up the opening, then backfired down the shaft, causing more explosions to occur within the huge craft.

* * *

On the Nirvana, Magno and BC listened with interest at the various exchanges between the fighter groups.

"Conmmander! It's going in! It's going in!"

"Bulls-eye! Bulls-Eye! Yahoo!"

"Reaper 9! I got a hit! Right down its throat! Plasma river! Look at that bastard light up!"

"Good Grand Ma, those men can fight!"

"I got it! I got it!"

"That was for Mejele!"

"Cover me! I'm going in!"

"A hit! A hit! I got those bastards!"

"Damn! That was one hell of a shot!"

As the battle continued to be waged, the ancient pirate captain nodded with satisfaction. With a common enemy to fight, the men and women were actually cooperating. Hopefully, they would continue to do so after the Radam were defeated.

* * *

Dagger, Axe and Rapier became even more infuriated as they saw their forces being whittled down. However, they couldn't aid their Spider-Crab hordes as Slade and his comrades were engaging them. As two more carriers fell, Darkon's forces were now inferior in numbers to the humans, they decided to cut their losses. Disengaging from White Tekkaman and his allies, they immediately began signaling to remaining Radam vessels to retreat. However, knowing that the Mejele and Tarak fighters would pursue them, Dagger sent a message to one of the two carriers that was still operational.

This particular vessel was more massive than its siblings, as it had previously been a Harvester Mother Ship. It began to slowly make its way across the battle zone, picking up speed as it headed toward its final destination. The smaller Dreads and Vanguards started firing at it, attempting to slow its progress, but it was like pitting fleas against a leviathan. As they were preoccupied in stopping it, the last carrier and its support ships withdrew.

As the Radam retreated, even more human warships engaged the carrier to stop its kamikaze run. The Fire Heart and Nirvana joined with the others, and opened up with all the firepower at their disposal. However, the mammoth carrier plowed through the defensive lines, and its target came into view.

Station K-97.

It seemed that if the Radam could not take the strategic asteroid, then they would destroy it.

* * *

"_VOLTEKKER!_"

"_PHANTOM VOLTEKKER!_"

"_VOLTEKKER BLASTER!_"

The three remaining Tekkamen let loose with huge quantum-energy blasts that took out large chunks of the Radam ship's bow, but it wasn't enough to slow it down, let alone stop it. Slade had no choice but to transform to his evolved form and prime his Mega-Voltekker. However, he was still doubtful that he could stop the thing with even his most powerful weapon.

All ships began clearing the sector as the Radam carrier continued on its path toward self-destruction. The crews on the station could only wait for the impact as there was no time to evacuate everyone. Despite their best efforts, the cooperation between the males and females had failed to save the station.

Or had it?

One final merging of man and woman occurred to save them all.

As Slade prepared to fire off his Mega-Voltekker, Dita jetted toward him and cried out

"_SLADE!_"

A corona of light surrounded the evolved Tekkaman, making him seem transparent. At the same time, Tekkaman Sapphire made contact with him. In one blinding flare of light, the two became one. Both disappeared from sight, as a new figure appeared. He/She was about eight feet in height and was colored in royal blue armor with white highlights. On his/her shoulders were massive energy collectors. Smaller energy units were mounted on the sides of the legs and midsection. On the center of his/her chest was a large, triangular, crystalline gem that was colored a brilliant green.

Enter Tekkaman Burst.

Immediately, the gem started to pulsate with energy. The collectors began exchanging streams of power as a globe of luminescence surround him/her. The sphere expanded slowly outward as the power within it increased exponentially. All ships in the vicinity sped away from the area as they knew that staying would mean total annihilation. As the Radam carrier was nearing the station, the newly combined Tekkaman cried out.

"_NOVA VOLTEKKER!_"

The sphere of energy blasted outward with a force equivalent to that of an exploding small star. The carrier was enveloped by the blast and was instantly vaporized. Energy shockwaves radiated out in all directions, straining the defensive shields of all vessels and the station to their limits. Various scanners and communication systems were irrevocably disrupted as the brilliance of the attack threatened to blind all those present.

Finally, the light and energy waves died down as Tekkaman Burst suddenly split apart into Tekkaman Blastor and Tekkaman Sapphire. Then all those present began to realize one undeniable truth.

They had won.

* * *

Back at the Radam Mother Ship.

Darkon was not pleased as he received the news from Dagger that the attack against the men and women had failed. It had been hoped to crush the defenders at K-97 as well as deal the humans a crushing blow while capturing more test subjects among the survivors. However, with the loss of six carriers and a substantial number of Spider-Crabs, the Warlord had to rethink his strategy.

As he waited for Dagger and the others to return, he made up his mind. There would be no more fancy strategies and sneak attacks. The Radam would just attack the planet of Tarak head on once the interference fields were low enough for them to use their full power. In less than two weeks, there would be a reckoning.

* * *

On the Fire Heart's Main Vanguard Hanger

"_LOOK OUT! IT'S GONNA BLOW!_"

The hanger crews scrambled for cover as a certain Vanguard was on the verge of exploding. It was badly damaged and was smoking from various joints and panels.

Inside the cockpit, Boomer sadly smiled as he prepared for the end. Warning lights and alarms lit up his control panel, indicating imminent destruction. During the battle, his mecha had taken several hits which had unknowingly activated the timer on his self-detonation device. The main control and thruster relays had burned themselves out when he came aboard the Fire Heart, which prevented him from moving his machine out of the hanger. He couldn't even escape as the hatch-release was also damaged, sealing him inside a metal, human-shaped coffin. Furthermore, his Vanguard still had a considerable amount of ordinance inside. As a result, once it detonated, he would take out everything and everyone within a 200-meter radius. He shook his head and sighed. He always knew that he would go out with a bang. He only regretted that he was going to take innocent lives with him and damage the only place he knew as home, the Fire Heart.

As the timer counted down toward zero, he held his breath, and waited

And waited and waited and waited

Then a click was heard as the hatch suddenly opened and the warning lights turned themselves off. Boomer could only look in stunned silence as a female face smiled down at him.

"Are you okay?" Siloma Ianesk asked.

Boomer nodded, still dumbstruck that his Vanguard hadn't exploded yet.

The young engineer continued to smile as she said, "Great! So how about getting out of this thing before it blows? I only managed the stop the detonation sequence for another minute!"

That was all he needed to hear as he unbuckled his harness and scrambled out of the cockpit. As soon as they both jumped down to the hanger deck and began running, a pair of Vanguards came over and picked up their doomed counterpart. Within moments, they placed it on a nearby catapult launcher and shot it out into deep space. Half a minute later, a sizable explosion was seen in the distance as Boomer's machine perished in a blaze of glory. Fortunately, its pilot would live to see another day.

A loud cheer echoed throughout the hanger as dozens of men from the work crews and engineering stations surrounded the perky and feisty new recruit. Siloma let off a cry of delight as she was lifted up by numerous hands and tossed repeatedly into the air.

After a very rocky start, the young engineer began feel that she was fitting in.

* * *

An hour later

"So Engineer Class A Ianesk. What possessed you to disregard orders to evacuate the hanger and risk everyone's lives with that stunt?"

Siloma felt a familiar feeling as she stood before the Captain and his First Officer in his office. She took a deep breath and replied to his question. "I realized that evacuating was pointless since the blast would have killed everyone in the hanger before they could get far enough away. I had previously studied the schematics to the Vanguards and their self-detonation devices. I knew I didn't have the time to disarm it, so I bypassed the timer circuit and added an extra minute to the countdown. Then I disabled the cockpit locking mechanism and got the pilot out. Then we shot the Vanguard out into space before it exploded. I mean, I know that it was risky and all, but we had everything to gain and well." Her voice trailed off as looked down at her feet.

There was a long silence as Captain Jensen Dar considered her explanation. As of now, he had her fate in his hands. Then finally, he spoke. "Engineer Ianesk, you do realize that you broke the rules again." She flinched at his words, then perked her head up as he continued. "However, unlike the first incident, you broke protocol for the _RIGHT_ reason."

"Captain?"

Jensen let off a sigh as he stood up from his seat, then gave her a small, slightly whimsical smile. "It's no secret that the crew of the Fire Heart has been known to break standard procedures, (though no one has been able to prove it in court). Rules are excellent guidelines, but a person must allowed to interpret them and decide _WHEN_ is the right time to change them. You showed remarkable bravery under fire, ingenuity and initiative, even though you had to break protocol to do it. Sounds like a perfect fit for the crew of Fire Heart Engineer Class S Siloma Ianesk."

"Class S?"

"That's right, Engineer Class S." Jensen then reached into a drawer of his desk and took out a small, metallic case. He then handed the shocked girl the container and told her to open it. When she did so, she gasped as she gazed upon the Tarak Medal of Engineering Merit, First Class, which was triangular in shape and sparkled with a blue light. He nodded to her and continued. "All punishments are hereby revoked and all privileges are restored. You are to be given Class S access to the Engineering Section and you will be part of the Primary Engineering Corps. That's Engineer Chief's Zona's top team and you have earned your place among them. Congratulations."

If she wasn't still in a state of shock, Siloma would have fainted on the spot.

* * *

On the Tarak homeworld, Grand Pa and Grand Ma smiled as they read the reports of the operation to repel the Radam attack. Though the casualties were considerable, the end result was six Radam carriers and several dozen support ships were destroyed, along with most of their compliment of Spider-Crabs and Station K-97 had not fallen into enemy hands.

The unity between the sexes had gotten more secure with the victory. Furthermore, the Nirvana's Tekkamen were seen as heroes and role models for the alliance of men and women. It seemed that once the Radam main invasion arrived, the human race would be more than ready to defend itself.

* * *

On the Fire Heart, Captain Dar walked his First Officer to her quarters. As they strolled down the hallway, they discussed the day's events.

"I'd like to thank you." Aika said.

"Thank me? For what?" Jensen asked.

The silver-haired woman took a small breath and replied, "For believing in my plan, and for supporting my opinions. I wouldn't have been able to convince the War Council if you and Tekkaman Slade hadn't"

Jensen held up a hand, cutting her off. "There's no need to thank me for anything. You came up with the right idea at the right time. You showed all the qualities of a good officer and I see no reason to disregard your opinions when they're completely valid. I do expect you to continue performing as you had today."

"Yes, Captain."

As they came to her quarters, they paused for a moment to gaze at each other, then Aika turned to enter.

Jensen then placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her to face him again. For a fleeting moment, Aika studied the blue depths of his eyes and found them to be quite pleasant-looking. Then she felt something being pressed into her right-hand. She looked down and saw a small, silver, metallic case. She held it up with a puzzled expression.

He nodded to her and said, "It's something that Grand Pa and Grand Ma wanted me to give to you." He then turned around to walk back to his own quarters. As he was about turn a corner, he called back to her without looking back.

"I'll see you in the morning, First Officer, _COMMANDER_ Aika Shan."

As he disappeared from sight, Aika looked down at the case, then slowly opened it with trembling hands. She nearly dropped the box as she saw its contents. It was a small, golden, triangular pin with a star in the middle, which signified her rise in rank. She gazed down at the collar of her uniform and saw the two identical pins which symbolized the rank of Lt. Commander. Now, as she added the third pin, she was a _FULL_ Commander.

She continued to stand at her doorway, staring at her new rank, in the same state of shock as the young engineer was. Finally, she gazed in the direction in which her superior had left and began to ponder her future under his command.

* * *

The Nirvana

As the crew of the pirate vessel settled down to rest from the day's battle, a small group of people converged in the Conference Room. Slade was absent as he was very tired from merging with Dita and was currently sleeping in his quarters. Those who were at the meeting included the captain, BC and Gascogne.

"You do realize, that this operation must be carried out with the utmost secrecy." Magno asked.

The other two women nodded in agreement as they continued to plan

To be continued

Author's Notes: Whew! That one LONG chapter and now that it's finished, I can finally confirm that this story is nearing its end with two chapters, (and multiple parts), to go. It's been a while since I worked on this story and I'm proud of what I've accomplished. As for the next chapter, we're going see some more intimate interactions between Slade, the girls, and some other people. See you there! 


	32. Chapter 13, Part 1: Secret Operation

**Tekkadread the Second Stage**

Disclaimer: This story is just for fun and all the characters belong to their respective creators. Okay?

: Thoughts

**Chapter 13**

**Part 1**

**Secret Operation**

It was two days after the Battle of K-97 as the Mejele and Tarak citizens began to get used to each other. The victory had boosted morale all around and had served as irrefutable proof that the two genders could work together. The propaganda ministry had a field day with video feeds of the battle sent all over the public communications systems. The ships that were most decorated were the Nirvana, the Carrier Sunburst and the Cruiser/Carrier Fire Heart. And the most widely seen profile was that of Tekkaman Slade.

Slade was seen as the symbol of the Allied Fleet and his exploits aboard the Nirvana against the Harvesters and the Radam had become near-legendary. There wasn't a place on Tarak, Heaven's Haven or the Allied Fleet , that he could go to that he wasn't recognized and mobbed by fans. As such, any event concerning him was of great interest to everyone. And what Vivan Magno AKA Nodoka had planned, was on a monumental scale.

However, as she privately discussed the matter with Grand Pa and Grand Ma in a special conference room in the Command Satellite, the pirate captain was certain that such an event was essential to the war effort.

"I must admit that what you are proposing, Captain Magno, is quite an undertaking." Grand Pa stated. "I daresay that the resources needed to perform such an operation would be considerable."

"Although, I am intrigued by the notion." Grand Ma remarked. "And I would say that such an operation would garner great dividends if successful."

"Yes, but is the cost worth the effort?" The ancient ruler of Tarak interjected. "Our resources were substantially reduced during the Battle of K-97. Though we scored a major victory, it will take some time for our manufacturing plants to replenish Vanguards, Dreads, ships and other war materials. We need time to replace those who were killed in action and to train new recruits. Can we afford to commit personnel, material and time to this operation?"

Magno nodded. "I would say that it would be more than worth the expense. Great Grand Pa, I am very aware of the conservative nature of the men of Tarak and I do admire it, considering that I had lost my home due to the wasteful actions on Mejele. However, we must also look at the big picture, once the enemy is defeated. The women have no place to go, since the Radam had gutted our home planet. Relocating to a new world is not a viable option at this point. We HAVE to live on Tarak, and it would be in everyone's best interests to establish good relations between the men and women. Though the victory against the Radam at K-97 has lessened the animosity between the sexes, it should only be seen as temporary. We must build more trust among the men and women and I believe that this operation is essential to that goal."

Grand Pa sat back on his throne and pondered on Magno's words. What she said did make sense. The war with the Radam could not last forever. Either the human race would be wiped from existence, (hopefully it would not come to that), or the enemy would be defeated. If that scenario came to pass, then what next? The men and women would have to live together on Tarak, and as such, the manufacture of weapons against the opposite gender would be considered as idiotic and wasteful. Resources would have to re-applied toward civilian projects and one of the biggest and most desired of plans was to terraform the barren world of Tarak.

Several Tarak scientists had approached the World Council in the past with ideas to convert the vast deserts into more fertile farming lands. There was even an ambitious plan to drop comet ice onto the planet's surface to create oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. However, at the time, the men were at war with the women, so all terraforming schemes were either dropped or put on indefinite hold.

Now, with the genders currently united, those same people who advocated the plan to alter Tarak had begun petitioning the Council to reconsider their ideas again. And they had some extra supporters from the women, as they too wanted to convert the planet into something more hospitable. Both genders had some very strong arguments.

One of the major obstacles to terraforming the world was technology. Tarak science was focused mostly on war production and general industry, but had very little when it came to the subject of ecology and agriculture. There were the small experiments to converting limited areas into farmland, but so far, the results were disappointing and not significant enough to justify a larger research budget. The men didn't have much in terms of green thumbs. It was far easier for them to eat the nutrition pills.

However, many of the men had gotten a taste of Mejele cuisine and found it difficult to go back to the pills. In order to satisfy their cravings for the four basic food groups, they would have to find a way to grow organic food in large enough quantities to sustain them. The Mejele had the technology in terms of farming and food production. Furthermore, they did have several terraforming techniques they had used on Mejele when they had first settled there. The women's problem was that they lacked the resources to implement these methods on Tarak or anywhere else, due to their wasteful nature. The men had resources in good supply.

Grand Pa considered for a while longer, then nodded. Magno's plan had enough merit to implement, both in the short and long term results.

"You have the permission to put your plan into operation, Magno. However, this plan must be carried out with the utmost secrecy. You cannot inform ANYONE, including your crewmembers until they absolutely HAVE to know. Grand Ma and I will have all necessary supplies and arrangements made. The operation is to take place three days from now."

"That will be perfect, Grand Pa. Thank you." Vivian Magno bowed to the aged man, then left with BC and Gascogne behind her.

* * *

One of the industrial plants

The engineering chief of the plant scratched his head in puzzlement as he read the order he had just received. He wondered why he was being ordered to produce several tons of blasting powder, but no shells or any other kind of ammunition to go with it. What was even stranger was the request for differently colored dyes and the blueprints for some weird-looking detonation devices.

However, since the orders had Grand Pa's official seal on them, he had no choice but to manufacture the requests.

* * *

Another manufacturing plant

"Sir? Do you have any idea why we would receive an order for sound-amplification systems of this size?"

The head foreman could only shrug his shoulders at his subordinate. "Ours is not to question why. We just follow the orders. Besides, these orders are from Grand Pa himself. If he wants speaker systems this large, then that's what we're going to build for him."

* * *

A synthetics plant

"Why would Grand Pa and Grand Ma request this much low-grade rubber?" A worker asked.

"Yeah, I mean this stuff isn't strong enough to be used in Vanguard articulation joints. It's too thin and the density wouldn't be able to hold up against the pressure." Another worker added. "I thought we were on full war material production."

"And why do they want them in different colors?" A third worker inquired.

"Get back to work!" Their boss shouted out. "Grand Pa is expecting this shipment in two days!"

* * *

A major Tarak broadcast station

"Sir?"

"What is it?" The head of the studio asked.

"We just received a request to have all of our airwaves clear in 3 days at this time period. It says that an important announcement is be broadcast worldwide."

"Yes. So what of it?"

"We're not given the reason why or what the announcement will be."

"Well, does it have Grand Pa's official seal on the request?"

"Yes, it does."

"Then have all our transmission lines open three days from now at the time requested. Grand Pa must have something important to tell to the people."

* * *

Meanwhile, on Heaven's Haven

In the facility's communal bathing area, three girls lounged in the hot tub, letting the waters soak away the day's tension. As they relaxed in the comforting warmth, they had a quiet discussion concerning a certain someone very close to their hearts.

"So you and Slade combined during the last battle?" Jura asked as she took a sip of sake from a small cup. Floating nearby was a small tray with a bottle of the alcoholic beverage.

Dita nodded happily as she drank from a bottle of milk. "It was really amazing! It felt so incredible! It was WAY better than combining with the Tekkadreads!"

"I have to agree." Jura concurred. "It was the most wonderful experience I ever had! I never felt so close to him as I was when we became Tekkaman Blaze even though he doesn't even remember that time." She took another sip, then asked her other compatriot. "How about you, Meia? What was it like when you and Slade became Tekkaman Flash?"

The short-haired girl nibbled her lower lip for a moment, then replied, "It's hard to explain. It felt as if every one of my thoughts became his thoughts and vice-versa. I felt everything he felt and he could feel all of my feelings too. You're both right. I've never felt more closer to him than during that time."

"I can't wait to combine with Slade again!" Dita piped up.

"Oh no! I'm going to be combining with him next mission!" Jura interjected. "After all, he's going to be the ohma of my children!"

"No, I'm combining with him! And he's going to be living with me!"

The two girls started to argue, but Meia immediately put a stop to it by splashing them both to get their attention. When the pair turned toward her in irritation, she took a deep breath and slowly said, "Jura, Dita don't you think we should consider Slade's feelings? I mean, he deserves that much after all he's done for us, right?"

The girls became silent as they considered Meia's words, then slumped down while nodding simultaneously. Both felt a bit of shame of arguing over Slade like he was some kind of possession.

"You're right, Meia." Dita said. "Mr. Alien I mean, Slade should get to choose who he combines with."

"You're still calling him Mr. Alien after all this time?" Jura asked with some surprise.

"It's an old habit and it was my special name for him."

"Special name?"

"Well he really IS special right?"

Jura shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "I'll agree with you on that. He's really special. He's so special that I want him and ONLY him to be my children's ohma."

Dita and Meia gazed upon their friend with slightly puzzled expressions, then the former Dread Leader said, "You're serious! You're really serious about having his children!"

"I thought you wanted to have a baby from a man's seed because you wanted to be famous." Dita stated.

Jura shook her head while taking another sip of sake. "No. Not anymore. Besides, I'm already famous as a Tekkaman. I want his baby because well. just because I want it! In fact, I'd be proud to bear a dozen of his children!" She then took a big gulp of sake. "How about you two? Would you like to have his child?"

Both girls became apprehensive at the sudden question and became nervously silent. The blonde female nodded at her companions' reluctance to answer her questions and noted that their cheeks were blushing. She gave them both a small grin and said, "I thought so. It's kind of a shock, isn't it? The fact that we're all in love with the same man."

At the mention of the word love, Meia and Dita's cheeks took on a furious shade of pink as they both dipped lower into the water.

Jura drained her cup and started refilling it. She took another swig and said, "Come on, girls. Don't lie to me. We've been friends too long to keep things from each other. I'm telling you here and now. I LOVE SLADE! I want to bear his children! I want to spend the rest of my life with him! I am not afraid to admit it! Now I'm asking you to tell me honestly. Are you in love with him? If you aren't, then say so! That way I can go after him with a clear conscience! If you feel the same way about him, then we have got to settle this, here and now! The war is not going to last forever, and I fully intend to win his heart!"

After a long silence, Dita sat up and nodded. "I love him too! And I want him to be my children's ohma!"

Finally, Meia decided to reveal her feelings as well. "I asked the Captain for permission to start a family with her son because I love him."

Jura gave her friends a nod as they began to discuss their situation with a certain White Tekkaman.

* * *

The next day

"How are the preparations going, BC?" Magno asked as she was being served her morning tea.

Buzom nodded as she looked down at the chart in her hand. "The preparations are going well, and I must admit, this is probably the most covert operation I have ever been involved in."

"Remember BC. We can't tell the rest of the crew until they NEED to know. You are aware of how much the crew likes to gossip, right?"

The dark-skinned woman nodded again. "I can understand not telling certain crewmembers, but are you sure about ?"

"I couldn't be more sure than I am about this operation. Now, about that other project we discussed with Grand Pa and Grand Ma?"

"Gascogne has already contacted the Mejele experts on that matter, and they assure me that it will be finished on time. Though I was expecting you to ask Barnette about taking part in it."

"She will be informed about the project when the time comes. I hope that everything will be in place when the operation begins. Timing will be everything."

* * *

Later that day

"Hey Slade!"

Slade was currently having lunch at the cafeteria in Heaven's Haven when he saw Ukyo the 17th approach his table with an older woman walking beside her. He smiled to his fellow Stage Hand and stood up to greet her and whoever she was with.

"Hey, Ucchan! How's it going? Who is this?"

The brown-haired girl nodded as she made the introductions. "This is Ukyo the 16th my mother."

Slade gazed upon the older woman in shock. This was Ukyo's mother? She was so young-looking! He had almost mistaken her as Ukyo's older sister! She was slightly taller than her daughter and had her hair tied up in a ponytail with a red bow. She was dressed in a kind of simple housedress. He did note that Ukyo the 16th as a bit more muscular, but had similar facial features to her offspring. The Tekkaman could see that the family resemblance was still strong, even after over half a millennium. In both females, he could discern traces of the original Ucchan, even though he only remembered a six-year-old boy er, girl.

Now the real question was, what did they want?

Ukyo the 16th looked Slade over and nodded to her daughter. "I have to admit, Daughter, he is exactly as you described. " She then turned her attention to Slade. "My Ucchan tells me that you are the ORIGINAL Ranma Saotome; the very same one with whom the Kuonji had sworn a blood vengeance for besmirching our family honor."

"Honor?!" Slade repeated in surprise, then realized what she was talking about. "Wait a minute! You can't be talking about what my no-good father did to your family all those centuries ago, are you? That was HIS doing! I had nothing to do with it!"

Ukyo's mother took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Ucchan told me of her talk with Ms. Gascogne, as well as your side of the story, since you WERE there. If the facts had been realized five hundred and sixty-two years ago, then our vendetta against your family, would have been directed toward the true criminal, namely that worthless trash, Genma Saotome. For that, as head of the Kuonji Clan, I apologize on behalf of my family and ask for forgiveness."

"Uh. yeah, that'll be fine." Slade was a bit surprised at the sudden turn of events. It had been his experience that people tended to hold grudges for a long time.

Ukyo's mother silently acknowledged his acceptance of her apologies, then added, "Initially, when I heard that you were the original Ranma Saotome, I had intended to press you into marrying my daughter so that ancient pledge would be fulfilled and honor would be satisfied." When Slade tensed up at that notion, she raised a hand to ease his concerns and continued. "Not to worry. I have decided to not to force the issue, since I only wish for my daughter's happiness. Therefore, I shall leave it up to her whether she wishes to pursue you or not. As far as I am concerned, the vendetta of the past should STAY in the past." She turned to her daughter and said, "I shall be heading back to our quarters. I will be seeing you later."

The elder Kuonji bowed to them, then left the cafeteria, leaving the two of them alone. The Tekkaman bid Ukyo the 17th to sit with him. As the crowds of people milled about their own business, the two discussed for a long time about their relationship. Finally, it was decided that though Ucchan did have some feelings toward him, it would be best for them to remain just good friends.

* * *

The next day

Slade pondered as he walked down the streets of Heaven's Haven. For the last two days, some of his friends had been avoiding him. One person in particular, his mother Nodoka, refused to see him.

After he had decided to reconcile with his mother after centuries of separation, Slade had been making every effort to spend some time with her. In the beginning, she had been always eager to drop everything for a chance to be with him, but now she seemed to be too busy to even talk. Every time Slade asked BC about her whereabouts, Magno's Second-In-Command would simply say that the captain was involved in a very important operation and could not be disturbed. He had also noticed that certain parts of Heaven's Haven and the Nirvana had been closed off and could not be accessed by any of the crew.

The former son of Genma Saotome knew that something was up, but no one would tell him what it was all about. Then again, just about everyone didn't know about what was going on either. The only thing he was certain of that something big was about to happen. However, he had no choice, but to wait until it happened.

It was then that his danger sense went off as someone came in from above. He jumped backward in reflex and tensed up.

His body immediately went into a series of evasive maneuvers as his unknown attacker landed in the spot he had just been a heartbeat ago. The assailant made a series of fast strikes at him, which he easily blocked or dodged. Slade made a couple of back flips to get more fighting room, and landed in a ready stance. He then got a good look at his opponent.

The woman looked to be in her early to mid-nineties and had a thin, but wiry frame. She was dressed in emerald-green ceremonial robes and had a wooden cane in her withered hand. Her silver-gray hair was long and reached her midback. She stood casually before him with her cane held out in front of her. On her wrinkled face was an expression of satisfaction and her eyes studied him with a calculating gleam.

"Well, well, well. You're not half-bad."

"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" Slade demanded. Damn! She moves pretty good for an old woman.

The elderly woman shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I wanted to see for myself if you really are as good as my granddaughter said you were. I must say, that you are skilled. Not bad at all for someone who's over five hundred and fifty years old."

"Huh? How did you know that? Who told you?"

"My granddaughter told me about you. I believe you know Xian Pu?"

"Xian? You're her grandmother?"

"Yes. I am Khu Lon. I am the First Elder of the Joketsuzoku. And as such, I am honor-bound to uphold 3,500 years of Chinese Amazon history Son-In-Law."

"Son-In-Law? Why are you calling me that?"

"By our ancient laws, my granddaughter must marry the man who defeated her fairly in combat.."

"You're kidding me!" Slade exclaimed, but then saw the determined look in her eyes. "You're not kidding, are you?"

Khu Lon shook her head. "When it comes to our tribe's ancient laws, I am ALWAYS serious!"

"Oh come on! You and Xian Pu are from Mejele aren't you?"

"True. The Amazons did migrate with the rest of humanity and when the genders separated, we did go along with the other women to Mejele. Using the cloning techniques that were developed, the Joketsuzoku continued. However, now that the genders are united again, our ancient laws are in effect. Therefore, you WILL marry my granddaughter."

"Sorry. I'm not going to marry anyone, just because of some outdated law. Besides, don't you think Xian Pu should have a say in this as well?"

"She will do as our laws command."

"Outdated laws that haven't been enforced for centuries." Slade pointed out. "As much as I like being with your granddaughter, I'm not going to be forced into something that neither of us agreed to."

"Our laws are adamant. For the sake of our Amazon honor, you will marry Xian Pu."

Slade took a deep calming breath, but did not relax his stance. "I guess there's no choice then. You want me into the family? Then you're going to have to _DRAG_ me to the altar."

"So you are challenging me, then? Very well. That is in accordance to our Amazon Laws. However, do _NOT_ take me lightly. I may not be as spry as I was in my younger days, but I am still _MORE_ than a match for a whelp like yourself. And do not think to transform into your Tekkaman armor. I assure you, that you won't get a chance."

"I won't need it." Slade emphasized his point by making his Tekkacrystal appear, then dropping it to the ground. If necessary, he could always recall it back. However, he was a man of his word and had no intention of transforming.

"Very well then. If you should defeat me, then I will release you from your obligation to become my granddaughter's husband. Let us begin."

Khu Lon twirled her cane while getting into a battle stance, then suddenly blurred forward. Slade was surprised that an elderly woman could possess such speed, as he countered the first of her punches. Then she upped the ante as she cried out.

"_**KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!**_"

Her cane stabbed forward like a jackhammer and Slade wasn't able to block all the jabs. He managed to move back to get more fighting room. That when his arms started to stiffen up.

The aged woman smiled knowingly as she took on a superior air. "Surprised, Son-In-Law? Let me explain. That speed technique I used was an ancient method called Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Now I know that you possess superhuman strength. However, even the mightiest of warriors cannot withstand Amazon Shiatsu, and I am a master of manipulating nerve impulses. The Chestnut Technique allowed me to strike many of your arms' pressure points, causing temporary paralysis. You will regain the use of your limbs within an hour, but I will have won this match long before that. Surrender now and accept your fate!"

"Don't bet on it!" Slade retorted as he shot forward and started throwing a dozen fast punches. Khu Lon was shocked by his speed and as she blocked the blows, she noted that his arms had faint, green-white lines running over the skin. She was forced back a bit, then took several small hops to get even more distance.

Slade smiled a bit as he felt the Tekka-circuits in his body realign the ki pathways in his body, releasing his arms from their forced paralysis. He had to give the old crone credit. If he didn't have his Tekkaman powers, her attack might have given her the win, or at the very least put him at a disadvantage.

As for Khu Lon, she immediately realized that Slade was formidable, even without his armor. Her granddaughter had not been exaggerating when she had described her commander's fighting skills and powers. It seemed that she would have to use her strongest techniques.

She started to build up her ki, which caused Slade's senses to go on full alert. Not wanting to find out what kind of attack she was going to use, he charged in. He hoped he could finish the fight before she could power up.

At that moment, Khu Lon let loose with her attack.

"_**HIRYU SHOTEN HA!**_"

* * *

In another part of the station, Xian Pu ran frantically through the hallways. She had just gotten a message from her grandmother, stating that she would be discussing the matter of Amazon Law with Slade. Those words immediately had her running like mad, as she searched for her only living relative.

Xian Pu loved her grandmother dearly, as she had raised her, following the deaths of her ohma and fahma ; both of whom had died in a shuttle accident. The girl had always been fascinated by the old woman's tales of her Amazon Heritage. And yet, she never really felt as an Amazon herself as the laws of the warrior women had not been upheld in centuries. Many of the descendants of the Joketsuzoku had felt the same way since immigrating into space.

Since meeting up with Slade, Xian Pu had been nursing feelings of admiration and perhaps even affections toward him. However, as time went on, and with Dita, Jura and Meia getting even closer toward him, especially after becoming Tekkamen themselves, Khu Lon's granddaughter had felt that she was outmatched against her competition. She had just recently decided to end her infatuation with him.

Then her grandmother dropped that bomb on her concerning Amazon Laws, and how she was going to force Slade to follow them.

As formidable as Khu Lon was with the ancient fighting secrets of the Joketsuzoku, she was still no match against Tekkaman Slade. She had to stop her ancestor before things got out of hand.

Then, as arrived at the open area where the residential sectors were, she saw the tornado.

* * *

Many of the residents of Heaven's Haven were started by the sudden gust of wind that was stirred up within the residential area. A bright light flared like a sunburst as auras clashed with each other. Then, as suddenly as the wind came up, it died down, along with the light.

In the center of the residential area, a large depression in the ground was seen. The metal plates had nearly buckled under the drastic increase in pressure. At the center of the depression, was a wrinkled old woman , lying on her back, her robes in tatters. Beside her, the gnarled, wooden cane had been snapped in two. She had a shocked expression on her face. A short distance from her, Slade was kneeling and trying to catch his breath. His jacket had several tears in it ,and he had several smudges on his face, as well as a couple dozen bruises on his body, which were already starting to heal.

For a long time, neither one spoke as they tried to process in their minds, what had just happened. Finally, the Tekkaman broke the silence.

"Not bad, Granny. Not bad at all."

It was at that time Xian Pu came onto the scene and ran toward her fallen grandmother.

* * *

Later

Slade took a deep breath as he turned to face Xian Pu and her grandmother. After the fight, they had gotten the old woman to the emergency ward of the pirate base. To everyone's surprise, Khu Lon was no worse for wear, other than a few bruises, a minor sprain, and some skin scrapes, despite being nearly a century old. This made the Tekkaman feel even more respect toward her, not only as his elder, but also for her skill and tenacity.

Currently, Khu Lon was in a hospital bed with her granddaughter by her side. Xian Pu had given Nodoka's son an earful, accusing him of hurting an old woman and such. However, before she could get any further, the elder Amazon immediately told her to be silent. When the girl calmed down, there had been a long silence before the Amazon Elder addressed her opponent.

"My granddaughter should understand that it was MY decision to confront you, concerning our Amazon laws, and that you did nothing wrong. You disputed the validity of the laws and challenged me accordingly. And though it pains me to admit it, you did defeat me. Therefore, honor is satisfied, and you are released from your obligations."

"Grandmother, I ?" Xian Pu began.

The elderly member of the Joketsuzoku waved a hand at her, stopping her in mid-sentence. "I wish to have a few words with Slade in private." When she noted the apprehensive expression on her granddaughter's face, she gave her a warm smile. "Do not worry, child. I am fine and I have no intention of starting another battle today. I only wish to ask him a few questions. Please leave us alone for a while."

The younger female gave her relative a lingering gaze, before nodding and left the room. Once she was gone and the door was firmly shut, Khu Lon addressed Slade with a firm tone.

"I must know. How did you defeat the Rising Dragon Ascension Wave? It is one of the most powerful and secret of our tribe's techniques."

"You're referring to that tornado you made, right?" When she nodded, Slade thought back to the battle, then explained what he had done. "I got to admit, you caught me off-guard with that one. The more I struggled against it, the more intense the winds became. Then I realized that the best way to counter it was to not fight it at all. I figured that the technique feeds on the aggressive energy of the opponent. Did I get that right?"

Xian Pu's grandmother remained silent for a minute, then nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you, since it appears that you already understand the basics of the technique. You are correct. The Hiryu Shoten Ha does depend on the aggressive energy as you put it, or in more accurate terms, the 'hot' energy or ki of the opponent's battle aura. By using my 'cold' or calm aura as a counter-agent, I am able to combine the two differing temperatures and create a kind of funnel effect. The stronger or 'hotter' the battle aura is, the more powerful the effect becomes. So tell me your solution to the technique?"

"Well, since I figured out that my battle aura was feeding the technique, it only made sense to power down to reduce it. Once the temperature difference decreased, the winds died down, allowing me to drop toward you. When I was close enough to you, I took a shot with own ki projectile and well you know what happened afterwards."

"Indeed. I didn't have the time to repeat the technique again. Your fighting instincts served you well this day. A pity that you will not marry my Xian Pu. What fine great-grandchildren you two would have given to me."

Slade became extremely nervous at the mention of having children, especially with his own mother constantly hinting that he should go forth and multiply. Then he started to think about Jura, Meia and Dita, whom he felt that he had the closest of bonds.

* * *

Later

After finishing his discussion with Khu Lon, Slade also smoothed things over with her granddaughter. After given some time to cool off, Xian Pu was glad that her relative was well and that she was no longer pressing the issue with the ancient Amazon Laws. Though she did admit to the White Tekkaman that she had some special feelings toward him, she and Slade agreed to just remain friends.

As Slade walked down the hallways toward the quarters he was assigned to on Heaven's Haven, he began to ponder his future once the war with the Radam was finished. Would it be so bad to finally stop his planet-hopping ways? If he did decide to set down his roots on Tarak, then what would he do? Would he spend the rest of his life alone or with someone beside him? He then got another series of images of Jura, Dita and Meia in his head. His cheeks blushed a bit as certain naughty thoughts came to mind. Shaking his head to clear it, he continued on his way, as he wondered if there was any other major event, (other than the Radam Invasion), coming in the near future.

* * *

Actually, there was

Jura, Meia and Dita were in a state of shock as they stood in the Nirvana's Conference Room with Magno, BC and Gascogne. They had just been informed of the details of Magno's secret operation.

"Is this true, Captain?" Meia asked.

The aged pirate nodded as she explained. "Yes. This operation has been given the highest of priorities by Grand Pa and Grand Ma themselves. I had withheld this information from the crew to ensure its secrecy, given the nature that everyone on the Nirvana are prone to gossip. However, as the time of the operation is tomorrow, I am authorized to inform the three of you, so that you can relay the message to the others. I will make certain that my son knows as well, when the time comes."

"But it starts tomorrow?" Jura said in confusion. "That doesn't give us much time to prepare!"

"All the essential preparations have been taken care of." The former wife of Genma assured. "Just make certain that the Dread, Vanguard and Engineering stations are aware. Gascogne has already informed everyone in the Supply Station. As for your own personal preparations" Vivan Magno AKA Nodoka gave the three girls a smile. " well, that's entirely up to you."

Each girl looked at each other with astonished expressions as their hearts started beating at rapid rates.

Tomorrow was going to be busy.

* * *

In the Engineering Station, an hour later

"You want me to do what?!" Parfet asked in confusion after hearing Jura's request. She was currently sitting at her console with the former Dread pilot standing next to her.

Jura smiled and nodded. "Yes. It's for tomorrow. I need to have it done by tonight. Can you do it?"

The bespectacled girl shrugged her shoulders. "Well, yeah I could do that, no sweat. But why would you want me to do such a thing? I mean, I got into trouble the last time"

"This is different, Parfet." The blonde insisted. "Please? Can you get this done fast? We don't have much time, especially since the operation will begin tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, you got a point. I mean, I was totally shocked when you told me about it."

"Can you do it?" Jura pressed, while giving the Head of Engineering a very cute pout.

"Well, okay." Parfet swiveled in her chair and faced her control monitor. She then started to enter commands into the system. "It's a good thing that I can access the section from here, so I don't have to go down there to make the adjustments. Considering what you're asking, it's going to take some very strong overrides." After a few minutes of inputting access codes and detailed programs, the young engineer nodded in satisfaction. "There! That should do it."

The voluptuous girl smiled impishly at the screen. "So this will do the job at the time I stated?"

"Yeah, it'll do what you wanted, though I can't guarantee it'll hold, considering " Parfet paused for a moment, then said, "Well, you know what I mean."

"It'll hold long enough for what I have planned." Jura stated with confidence. "Thanks Parfet! You're the best!"

Jura then walked away happily back to her quarters, leaving Parfet with a slightly apprehensive expression.

_I hope things do turn out well, I'd hate to have to send in the repair crews to fix the mess, if this plan doesn't work._

* * *

In her own quarters, Meia paced about and puzzled over what to do. Never had she been given a chance to take part in such an important operation. And she had to admit that the captain had come up with quite a plan. And to have kept it a secret for so long, especially from the gossiping crew, was a monumental achievement in itself.

Now the big question was, how was she going to handle it?

* * *

In her own room, Dita happily began constructing her own preparations for the coming operation. She hadn't felt so giddy since the Christmas party last year and now she would be able to go all out and showcase her talents. As she went through several of her things, she let off an excited cry as she found the perfect item.

* * *

On the Fire Heart

Old Gun nodded as he continued to drill the Brawler Brigade on the new maneuvers he had been ordered to train them in. They had been going at it for several hours and some of the members were more than bewildered at the strange motions they were practicing.

"Sir?" Sosike called out.

"What is it, Sergeant?" The older man asked.

"The squadron and I would like to know why we are practicing such odd moves. They don't conform to any known hand-to-hand manuals. And some of these moves strangely requires us to work in close proximity with a partner."

"Are you finding the motions difficult to master?"

"Well, no they're not that hard to learn. They do have some coordination benefits and they're good for cardiovascular exercise. What the men really want to know is why Grand Pa specifically ordered us to master these strange moves by tomorrow. And why did he specifically request that all crewmembers of the Fire Heart to be in attendance at the Pirate Base?"

"To tell you the truth, Sergeant. I don't have all the details myself, other than the fact that Captain Dar ordered all personnel to be there at 1800 hours." The veteran Vanguard pilot then changed the subject. "Oh, and by the way. Did you assemble all the men who have those certain requirements he asked for?"

"Yes sir. We don't have any in the Brawler Brigade, but we did find about a dozen or so individuals in the Engineering and Navigation Sections that fit the bill. Though why Captain Dar would want those people specifically"

"Ours is not to question why, Sergeant." Old Gun stated. "These orders come from Grand Pa himself, so it's up to the captain and the crew to carry them out."

"Sir!" Sosike saluted.

* * *

The captain's office

"It seems that all personnel are on schedule and we should be able to commence the operation without any problems." Captain Dar said as he sat at his desk and read over the report. He then addressed his second-in-command, who was sitting opposite to him. "Wouldn't you say so, Commander Shan?"

Aika nodded , though she was still getting used to her recent rise in rank. She glanced briefly at the new pin on her collar, which designated her as a full commander. "Yes Captain, though I must admit, that I'm bit surprised."

"In what way?"

Aika paused for a long moment before responding. "Permission to speak freely, sir."

Jensen nodded. "Granted."

The Mejele officer collected her thoughts briefly before answering. "I must admit that when we were told of the purpose of this mission, I had some misgivings concerning the men and how they would react to such an event."

"I see. And those misgivings were based on what Mejele intelligence had on Tarak's society. Am I correct?"

The former commander of the Crimson Twilight nodded, impressed with man's insight. "Yes sir. Tarak men are not, no offense intended, known to partake in such activities."

"No offense taken, Commander. I can understand your concern. Officially, the citizens of Tarak do not partake in such activities, since they are not considered as unique or special. However, _UNOFFICIALLY_, we do have times, in which we readily participate in such things. And here on the Fire Heart, as you may have already learned, we don't always go by the book." The Captain then reached down into a desk drawer and took out a small, clear flask and two shot glasses.

"What is that?" Aika inquired.

Jensen gave her a devilish smile that made him seem even more darkly handsome. "This is one example of what I mean by not going by the book. This a special brew made by Master Sergeant Fulson. He gave it to me after my first year on the Fire Heart. Once in a while, when I need to relax and I'm off-duty, I take a shot or two."

Aika eyed the flask with a cautious eye. Now there was some really, questionable stuff. The color of the liquid was a light lavender, and it seemed to be constantly fizzing. Every now and then, it would darken, then lighten in tone, as if it couldn't decide on what shade it should be. Then she remembered back to when one of the new Mejele Vanguard pilots had told her about Old Gun's training methods.

"That " Aika said slowly, " wouldn't happen to be one of the special concoctions, that Master Sergeant Fulson uses to train the Vanguard recruits, would it?"

"This?" The Fire Heart's captain shook his head, while still smiling. "No, this is FAR more potent than what he gives to trainees. It's something like those alcoholic beverages that you women enjoy from time to time. However, this stuff has a lot more kick to it."

"This is more intoxicating than wine?"

Jensen nodded. "I sampled some of your beverages, when your people first came to our planet. That stuff you call vodka ? It's a little light for me."

_Light?! He thinks Mejele vodka is light?!_ She couldn't believe that he would say such a thing. Mejele vodka was based on the ancient Russian version of old Earth. The alcohol content of Mejele vodka was 65 percent or 130 proof. So what was the alcohol content of this Tarak drink?

Captain Dar smiled as he began pouring out the drink into the shot glasses. "On the Fire Heart, we call Old Gun's brew Torpedo Juice. (1) Since we're both off-duty now, care to join me?"

Aika looked down at the offered glass, then looked up at her captain as he held out his drink. Technically speaking, she didn't have to partake in it. However, she didn't want to show any disrespect to her superior. Taking a deep breath, she took up her own drink and held it up.

"Cheers."

She drank down the contents of the glass in one swallow. Then she promptly passed out.

* * *

Later that evening

Aika awoke with a massive migraine and found herself in the Sick Bay. She was on a cot and saw that the man attending her was the Brawler Brigade's medic, Gin Zerga. Standing beside him, was her captain.

"Ah, good! You've awakened." Jensen nodded to her.

"Oooh!" She rubbed her temples with her fingers as she sat up. The pain was comparable to having a thousand knives stabbing into her brain. Though she was not a strong drinker by any means, she had not been expecting Old Gun's brew to have the ability to knock her out with one shot glass.

"Steady there, Commander." Zerga advised as he noted that she was still somewhat under the effects of her drink. "You're still feeling the kick of Torpedo Juice. It's not something first-timers drink all at once."

"H-How did you?" Aika stammered, as she tried to process what had just happened to her.

"I didn't need the Captain to tell me when he brought you in here. Your breath had the telltale scent of Old Gun's Specialty Brew." The medic explained. "It's a good thing I had some of his Wake Up formula to inject into you. You would have been out for another two days."

"You've done this before I take it?" She groaned.

The medic nodded. "Yes. As part of the Brawler Brigade, I've had a taste of all of Old Gun's Training Specials and his Torpedo Juice. Personally, I normally don't take more than one shot a week."

"Why do you call it Torpedo Juice? I've had the strongest vodkas on Mejele and nothing came close to knocking me out like that stuff."

Gin shrugged. "Well, we're not sure what's in that stuff. Like all of Fulson's mixtures, Torpedo Juice defies the chemical analyzer. I even ran it through a Mejele analyzer and I _STILL_ don't know all of its components. Its strong enough to actually be used as fuel for plasma torpedoes. All I can tell you is that Torpedo Juice has the highest alcohol content that a human can consume and survive. You have my admiration, Commander."

"Thanks I think."

Jensen smiled at his First Officer, then his expression became more serious. "My apologies, Commander Shan. I wouldn't have offered you a drink if I knew that you would have that kind of reaction."

Aika waved off his apology. "It's all right, Captain. One thing I can say about the men of Tarak. You sure know how to make one _HELL_ of a cocktail."

* * *

The day of the operation

Slade let off a sigh as he headed toward the building where Magno had asked him to meet. Things had gotten very quiet in the last few days, and he begun to miss the constant battles with the Harvesters and the Radam. Things had gotten... boring.

At that moment, he was met by his mother near the front of the building's entrance. The elderly woman waved to him.

"My son! How are you this day?"

"Hello Mom." Slade was still unused to calling her as such, but Magno had insisted that he do so when they were alone. She invited him into building and started to converse with him.

"I am sorry that we have not been able to spend more time together." Magno said as she and her first-born walked down the hallway. "I have been very busy with a certain operation that was of the highest priority from Grand Pa and Grand Ma."

"Yeah, I heard." Slade said while nodding.

This surprised his mother. "You have?"

The White Tekkaman shrugged. "Well, I have heard that you and some other people are involved in some kind of secret mission, but I don't know any of the details."

Magno relaxed a bit after hearing this. "I see. Well, you are correct. And for obvious reasons, I cannot tell you exactly what it Is at this time."

"Hey, I understand. It's all for the good of the people of Mejele and Tarak. So I'll assume it's some kind of secret strategy to defeat the Radam, right?"

Slade's mother gave her offspring a whimsical smile and replied, "Actually, I can tell you that the mission has nothing to do with the military."

"What?"

"In truth, the operation is concerned with the aftermath of the war."

"Oh." Slade pondered her reply for a moment, then nodded. "I get it. I guess we can't expect the war to last forever, and since Mejele is gone, the women are going to have to get used to living on Tarak."

"Correct. And it would be in everyone's best interests if the two genders are able to cooperate with each other. So far, they have been doing just that, and very nicely I might add. So it was decided by both sides to engage In more activities together to promote this unity. Wouldn't you agree?"

"That makes sense. But what can both sides do together? Were you planning on some kind of group project?"

"Well, you could call it that. Actually, we were considering more along the lines of something entertaining and enjoyable for both sides."

"What could both sides agree on to enjoy?"

"Well, you could say that both sides agree when it concerns you, my son."

"Me?"

"You are considered a hero to both the men of Tarak and the women of Mejele. You are also the greatest symbol of the unity between the genders. You represent the future of both our worlds. So, we decided to do this."

The two came to a door, in which the pirate captain gestured for her son to open. He did so and stepped into a large, stadium-sized room. Suddenly, large lights came on as the entire area became illuminated. A huge crowd of people jumped out from their hiding places and began cheering, while confetti, colored balloons, and streamers fell from above. Noisemakers sounded, while poppers went off in all directions. The roof of the building retracted, revealing the air above. Flying remote cameras floated about, and focused in on Slade, transmitting his surprised expression all over the world of Tarak, the combined fleets, and Heaven's Haven. Fireworks started going off outside of the pirate base and in all the cities on the desert world. Then a huge banner dropped down above him as all those present cried out ****

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SLADE!" 

The White Tekkaman stood in total shock as members of the Nirvana crew crowded around him. He looked about and saw long tables laden with food, and in the center of the stadium, was a huge, ten-layer cake with white and blue icing. On the top of the cake, there was just one, huge candle that was shaped into the numerals 568, which designated his age.

Slade looked over his shoulder to his mother and tried to get his mouth to work. After a minute, he finally said, "My birthday is today?"

Magno smiled and replied, "Who else, but your mother would know?"

Slade didn't have time to say anything else as Jura, Dita and Meia tackled him to floor and began hugging and kissing him.

In the background, Old Gun shouted out while holding up a mug of his Torpedo Juice.

"All right, everyone. Lets party!"

To be continued

Author's Notes

Well, that takes care of this part of chapter 13, and now we are going to get more into the relationships between Slade/Ranma and the other girls, as well as a few other couples as well. Stay tuned for Chapter 13 part 2, Celebration.

(1) Torpedo Juice was a beverage created by PT Boat sailors in World War II. Using the high grain alcohol fuel in torpedo motors and cleaning fluid, it was strained through a loaf of bread and mixed in with pineapple juice and other fruit juices. We're talking about stuff that makes uncut moonshine seem like lemonade. Old Gun's version is similar, but he uses a stronger derivative of alcohol. No wonder it knocked out the unsuspecting Aika Shan. 


	33. Chapter 13, Part 2: Celebration

**Tekkadread the Second Stage**

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned in this story belong to their respective creators and I am making no money for this. Nuts!

: Thoughts

** **: Reference to a Songfic

**Chapter 13**

**Part 2**

**Celebration**

The desert world was buzzing with activity as everyone joined in on the celebration of Slade's birthday. For the first time in over a hundred years, the people of Tarak and Mejele were actually enjoying each others' company in plain view. For the men, it was one of the very few times, in which they didn't have to conform to rules and regulations. As for the women, they were finally able to enjoy some of the comforts and amusements of their former world of Mejele. And much to the surprise of many; the genders soon found out that they had more in common with each other, than either side wanted to admit, or was even aware of.

Grand Pa, Grand Ma, Magno and many of the other instigators of this shindig, spared no expense to provide a wide range of entertainment for the men and women all over the planet and in the combined ships of the Allied Armada. In all of the cities, various stands and carnival-like rides had been set up. Large areas had been converted into amusement parks, complete with shows, games and even air demonstrations by several of the Vanguard squadrons. Many of the Dread pilots were impressed by the acrobatic maneuvers of the male mecha. Who would have thought, that the Grim Reapers and the Bloody Bastards, could fly as elegantly as the Blue Angels (1) of old Earth?

The festivities were especially intense on Heaven's Haven as the reason for all the joyous celebration was gently led on to a podium by his mother. Flying cameras immediately zeroed in on Slade's face as images of him was transmitted worldwide and across all channels in the fleet. For a minute, everyone stopped in their jubilation to listen to the impromptu speech.

Slade gulped a bit as he found himself to be the center of attentions for billions of viewers. He gave his mother a pleading look, but Magno smiled at her son and silently urged him to face the public. Seeing that he needed to project a confident and encouraging image, he stood up straight and smiled at the cameras. "Uhm you all probably know me, but for those who don't, I'm Slade a Tekkaman, though at one time I used to be a guy named Ranma Saotome. I'd like to thank you all for this party, and I hope that everyone here at Heaven's Haven, Tarak and the fleet, enjoy themselves this day. This party is all about my birthday, but I feel that everyone deserves a chance to celebrate and be happy in their lives. The Harvesters tried to take that from us, but we did not let them! The Radam are now trying to do the same, but we aren't going to let them either! We already kicked their backsides at K-97 and when they come at again, we're going to kick them all the way back to Earth!"

There was a thunderous cheer and round of applause among the crowds, especially by the men. When the din died down, Slade continued.

"But for now, I think we've all earned a chance to relax and have some fun! People may think I'm the hero, but I believe that everyone in the Allied Armada are heroes! Men and women alike! We've shown the enemy the power of our unity and I believe it to be greater than a million Tekkamen! That's what I learned during my time on the Nirvana, and I truly believe in it! This isn't just about my birthday! It's about the birth of a bright future for the men of Tarak, the women of Mejele and the human race itself! When the enemy comes, we're going to give 'em Hell! For today, let's all enjoy a bit of Heaven!"

Another thunderous roar of approval and applause echoed throughout Heaven's Haven, as well on the planet below and one the vessels in space. The festivities then restarted with gusto.

* * *

After Slade's speech, the peoples of Tarak, Mejele and several other worlds in the Alliance mingled and took part in the activities that were being conducted. There some surprises and events that were especially notable

* * *

On Heaven's Haven

"So this is Torpedo Juice, huh?" Gascogne said as she studied the large bottle in front of her. She was currently sitting at a small table opposite to the Old Gun. Crowding around them were some members of the Nirvana's Supply Station and a few of the Brawler Brigade pilots.

The grizzled Vanguard veteran grinned at the Head Supplier, who had the audacity to challenge him to a drinking contest. Old Gun had put all of his previous challengers under the table. Though he did like Gascogne's sassy attitude. "So you think you're up to it?"

The muscled woman smirked back at him, while taking out a bottle of red liquid and placing it on the table, next to the flask of Torpedo Juice. "That all depends. Do you think you can handle my Red Fury?" (2)

The girls in crowds gasped in fear and shock. Those who had tasted Gascogne's mixture compared it to chugging two dozen bottles of Mejele vodka all at once.

"Red Fury?" Fulson wondered. "What's that supposed to be?"

"It's my own special brand. This isn't like that weak Mejele vodka they sold back home."

"Interesting. I'd like to try it."

"And I'd like to give that Torpedo Juice a shot."

"All right. Let's make things interesting. We'll take turns drinking each other's specialty. First one who drops, loses. Deal?"

Gascogne nodded as she promptly uncorked the bottle of Torpedo Juice, poured herself a shot glass and drank it down in one swallow. The beverage immediately burned down her throat, and it felt to her as if she had swallowed molten lead. Though she was taken by surprise at the Torpedo Juice's fierce bite, which caused her to cough a bit, she soon got herself under control and set the glass down. She straightened up and nodded to her opponent.

"Not bad." Hikar commented. He had to give the woman credit. She was one of the few people who hadn't passed out immediately after the first shot. He then opened the bottle of Red Fury, poured himself a glass and knocked it back. He felt a moderate stabbing sensation in his throat, but he dismissed the feeling as he put his glass down.

Both sides of the crowd were in shock. A woman who was _STILL_ conscious after drinking Torpedo Juice? A man who was not coughing up his guts after having a glass of Red Fury? Were they even human?

Gascogne then poured herself another shot

* * *

In another part of Heaven's Haven

"What the heck are these things?" Gin asked as he looked at the strange machines in an open area of Heaven's Haven.

Each device was a raised platform with large, holographic screen in front. He noted that there were four, large, square buttons, arranged in a cross pattern. He also saw that the screen was displaying patterns of arrows while a rhythmic sound was being played. (3)

Despite the harsh, living conditions of Tarak, the men did know what music was. Although, the majority of music that Gin ever heard was from the Brawler Brigade, and normally they sang after having several rounds of Old Gun's Torpedo Juice. The young medic shuddered at the memories. The music he heard from the machines however, were actually pleasant to listen to. Then he watched in amazement as several women mounted the platforms and began to follow the patterns of arrows, which corresponded to the positions of the large buttons. With each correctly timed step, the screens displayed increasing scores. With every misstep, there were a series of bleeps and red flashes, as the screens showed scores being deducted.

_"I get it."_ Gin thought. _"It's some kind of what did they call it again? Oh yes. They called it dancing. The object of the game is to follow the arrows in time with the rhythm, and the more you hit the steps in time, the higher your score. It kind of reminds me of the maneuver drills Old Gun puts us through. Looks like fun"_

After considering the activity, the Brawler Brigade's medic decided to get involved. Spotting an empty machine, he walked over to it and stepped onto the platform. The women gave the newcomer a strange look. The man was actually going to attempt to compete in their Holo-Dance Off?

The machine immediately activated as soon as Gin stepped on the platform. It registered his name and set him at Level One. The observing females giggled a bit. There was no way a man could move with as much grace as a woman. This wasn't going to be pretty.

Then Gin made his first step. Then another step. Then another step. The screen flashed vividly as the pace increased. The women's expressions turned from amusement to shock as the Tarak man blazed through the level with ease. A minute later the song ended as the holographic display declared his score.

One hundred percent hit rate. A perfect score from someone who had never played the game in his life.

At that moment, the women realized that they had _SERIOUS_ competition.

* * *

And speaking of competitions, the main party where Slade happened to be in, was now introducing the men to a new form of entertainment karaoke.

Jura took the center stage as she held up a microphone, then blew a kiss to the birthday boy, making him blush as a spotlight shone down on his table.

"We're all celebrating a special occasion for a very special person. The alliance between Mejele and Tarak would never have taken place if it weren't for him. And as he said before, we should all enjoy ourselves tonight. Even though the men and women have been living together for some time now, there are still some things that either side do not about the other. Well, there is _ONE_ thing that everyone should know about girls. In short _GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!_"

On cue, the huge speakers behind her started blaring out an upbeat, techno-tune as other members of the Nirvana crew came out to sing as a chorus line with the blonde Tekkaman

_*****Check out Songfic 4: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun*** **_

In total amazement, the men gaped as various women started to contort and sway all over the floor in front of the stage. They had never seen or heard such a thing. What was even more amazing that several of the males started to move in tune with the music as well. Slowly, but surely, the citizens of Tarak began to lose their inhibitions and began the ancient ritual of dancing.

When Jura finally ended her song and the music faded away, there was a thunderous applause from both sides. She gave them a graceful bow, then gestured to Slade. "Happy birthday, Slade! This is just ONE of the gifts that I want to give to you!"

The former Saotome swallowed a bit at the hidden message, then smiled while shaking his head. He then got up and walked toward the stage. Taking up another microphone, he addressed her and the crowds.

"Well, that was quite the present, Jura and I really do appreciate it. Thank you. Now, I think that there are some things that needs to be known about the men as well. And if there's one thing they'll all agree on is that they are strong in their hearts and minds, and if you don't agree, then you'd better _ BEAT IT!_"

Slade then took out a small computer data file and inserted it into the speaker system. As with Jura, the speakers began playing out hard, rock and roll music.

_*****Check out Songfic 5: Beat It*** **_

The women became especially surprised that a man could sing so well, and the fact that several of them had some interesting dance moves. Especially that move when it appeared that Slade was walking forward but was moving backward.

Like Jura's song, the music slowly faded away as the Tekkaman polished off the remaining chords. There was another thunderous applause as the men and women demanded for more

At that moment, a certain, blue-haired, former Dread Pilot decided to sing out her feelings for him. Meia stood alone on the stage and fidgeted nervously for a few seconds before taking up the microphone. She addressed the crowds and especially Slade.

"I would like to first wish Slade a happy birthday today. I have to admit, that when he first came aboard the Nirvana and became a part of the crew, I was like every other person from Mejele. I didn't believe that men and women could work together. But despite all the arguments, the fights, and the harsh treatment that we had given to him and the other men, he still stuck with us. As I remember back to those times, I feel a bit ashamed of how I myself, had treated him. And now, like we all are, I feel blessed and very fortunate that he's with us. This is my gift to you, Slade. It was my favorite song when I was growing up. We can't really dance to it, but I think we can still enjoy it all the same."

Meia then signaled to the karaoke machine to play her selection as she began to sing. Soft music began to play, giving all dancers to sit down and relax. The former Dread pilot was later joined by Jura and Dita.

_*****Check out Songfic 6: If I Could Turn Back Time*** **_

Afterwards, the crowds let off a appreciative round of applause. The three took a bow and left the stage to sit down. At that point, Captain Jensen Dar decided to take the microphone as he was joined by several of his crewmembers on the raised platform. Near the back of the audience, his First Officer and several of her crew from the Crimson Twilight gaped in amazement. They weren't actually going to?

Jensen waved to the crowds and spoke. "I must admit that the people from Mejele and the Nivana certainly know how to have fun. Now I think it's time to show everyone that the Fire Heart crew knows a thing or two about how to party! And here's a message from us to the Radam! We're all going to fight with everything we've got! And anything they throw at us, we're NOT gonna take it!"

The karaoke machine then started an up-tempo beat as Jensen and his crew sang out their defiance toward the enemy and emphasized the unity of the two genders.

_*****Check out Songfic 7: We're Not Gonna Take It*** **_

The song made dancers come back onto the dance floor with a vengeance as patriotism and cooperation reached a new high. The entire building rocked with the beat of hundreds of feet and voices. The music eventually faded away as the song ended. There was an enormous roar of approval and applause as the Fire Heart's crew, took their bows.

* * *

Meanwhile

"(Hic) Ready to give up?" Gascogne asked as she turned over her twenty-ninth shot glass. She was having a bit of trouble as objects began to look blurry.

Old Gun shook his head, though slightly unsteadily. "(Burp) Shot number twenty nine and still feelin' fine!"

Both rivals poured themselves another round of Torpedo Juice and Red Fury.

* * *

At the Holo-Dance Off

Large groups of females were panting and dropping out of the competition as the Brawler Brigade's Medic continued to follow the blinking, foot patterns without pause. Many women decided that he was some kind of inhuman monster to be able to keep pace with the increasing rhythms and sequences.

Was he ever going to drop?

* * *

The Mejele woman who manned a shooting gallery stand, winced as one customer continued to hit bullseye after bullseye. What was more unbelievable was the fact that while the other players were shooting from the counter, this character was nailing the targets from over fifty feet from the stand!

Tensen McFile shrugged his shoulders as he continued to pick off the targets with ease. In his right hand, he held the BB rifle and snapshot each round. He barely took any time between shots to aim. He couldn't understand why the Mejele women thought this was a challenging game. This was a lot easier than shooting sand mites off a plate of food pellets at two hundred feet.

Feeling that it was too easy, he decided to up the ante by turning his back to the stand, slinging the rifle over his shoulder and taking out a small, pocket mirror. At the counter, the operator stared in disbelief.

_Oh come on now! There's no way he could?_

_**PING! PING! PING!**_

Three more targets were knocked off as Duero's father aimed with the mirror while shooting backward.

It was at that time that Barnette approached the gallery. When she saw the elder McFile, she thought that she could get into a friendly competition with him. When she saw him pick off targets with a mirror while standing backwards, all she could say was

"Damn!"

She then decided to go look for his son.

* * *

Speaking of whom

Duero looked at the strange treat that Parfet had just handed to him, as they walked down the fairgrounds of Heaven's Haven. This blue, fluffy substance was edible?

"What did you call this again?" The Tarak doctor asked.

"We call it cotton candy." Parfet replied as she took a bite of her own stick. Taking note of his confused expression, she nodded in understanding. "I guess you wouldn't know since you grew up eating pills, right?"

"Oh no! I know what cotton is. I find it very useful in cleansing and swabbing wounds. It's also part of the packaging of medicines. I had no idea that it could also be eaten."

Parfet shook her head while smiling. "Well, actually that kind of cotton you can't eat. This stuff isn't really made of cotton, it just looks like it. Go ahead and try it."

The son of Tensen McFile did just that as he sampled a small piece. He smacked his lips a bit as he mentally analyzed the taste. He nodded and said, "Interesting. It's quite sweet. I would guess that this substance is composed mostly of a form of sucrose. Hmmm, I can't recommend this as a nutritional supplement to one's diet."

"Well, cotton candy is not supposed to be eaten every day. It's just one of those guilty pleasures that we enjoyed on Mejele" Parfet's facial expression became a bit saddened, as she thought about her homeworld, which was now a wasteland, thanks to the Radam.

Taking note of her drop in attitude, Duero gave her a smile and said, "Well, I do admit that this cotton candy is quite a marvel and I believe I will indulge in it, for today. I thank you for introducing me to it."

The young engineer brightened up, then pointed to another stand. "Ooh! Look over there! They've got a goldfish scooping game! "

She then began leading the healer toward the stand.

* * *

Back at the main party

Dita smiled as she took to the stage and gestured to Slade, while adjusting to the crowds...

"As you may or may not know, Tekkaman Slade was once a really great person named Ranma Saotome. Whether he's Ranma or Slade, he's always been there for us! At times, he may drive some of us crazy, but that only means he cares about us, and we care about him. Hey Ranma! You're so fine, you blow my mind!"

_***** Check out Sonfic 8: Hey Ranma!*** **_

After the song was finished, and another round of applause, the karaoke machine then started playing some different kind of music, in which the women began inviting the men to join on the floor. When there was a bit of reluctance among the males, (mostly due to being unfamiliar with this type of dancing), Jura decided to demonstrate by walking up to Slade and held out her hand to him.

The White Tekkaman gulped a bit as he realized that she wanted the first slow dance with him. Given a reassuring nod from his mother, he stood up, gave the blonde a gracious bow and led her onto the dance floor. The Tarak men watched in amazement and a bit of shock as he pressed himself close up to her and started to move slowly with the music.

* * *

Back outside the main party

Barnette wondered just why there was such a huge crowd as she made her way through the masses to the center of the commotion. Then she stared in amazement at the source of the excitement.

Duero knelt down in front of the goldfish-scooping game with a small paper hoop in his hand. He gazed upon the tank of fish and other aquatic life. In his other hand, was a small bowl of water. With one quick movement, he immediately scooped up six fish and had them in the bowl. The way he caught the fish was almost too fast for the human eye to follow. More and more people applauded at Razor's incredible hand-to-eye coordination, which served him well as a doctor, and Tekkaman. Beside him, were several dozen water bowls, each filled with fish, and the occasional turtle.

Parfet watched with admiration as Duero continued to show his mastery of the game, despite never having played it before. Then she remembered the time when he skillfully picked off a Sand Stalker with his knife. She also remembered what Barnette had told her of Duero's nickname of Razor and how skilled he was at throwing sharp implements. It was obvious that he had inherited his keen eyesight and reflexes from his father.

* * *

Speaking of whom

The operator of the shooting gallery was at her wits end. It was unnerving that Tensen McFile was knocking off his targets at fifty feet from the stand. It was insulting that he picked off bullseyes with his back turned and using a mirror. But what he was attempting to do now was just downright impossible!

Tensen McFile had accepted a dare from a passerby to take out ten targets with a single shot. Always ready to take on new challenges, he purposely emptied his BB rifle of all of the ammunition, save one. Then he turned about, slung the gun over his shoulder, and took another twenty steps further from the stand. Without even bothering to take out his pocket mirror, he leveled the gun at the correct height and fired.

The tiny projectile shattered one target, bounced off the back wall of the gallery, then took out another target, splitting it down the middle. The pieces went flying and took out two more targets each. This caused a domino effect as the flying debris hit down a few more targets. When it was all done in less than two seconds, ten targets had been struck.

The stand operator bowed down with her head in her hands. With just one shot, that man had wiped her out.

* * *

Back at the main party

Aika trembled slightly as she was gently led through the slow dance by her superior, Jensen. She had been surprised that he and his men were familiar with this kind of dance step. Then she learned that Old Gun had drilled some of the crew the day before.

The former commander of the Crimson Twilight was a bit unnerved to be this close to a man, and she couldn't help how well her body seemed to fit with his. She became especially aware of his muscled frame and how sturdy he was compared to her more supple form.

As the music continued, she began to notice other things about her superior. He had the most intriguing shade of gray eyes she have ever seen. Being so close to him allowed her to study those depths and she began to feel a kind of warmth emanating from them. Then her gaze traveled down to the strong jaw line and noticed the strange, heady scent he had, which was of course his aftershave. It wasn't like the floral perfumes she was familiar with, but it was a rather musky, though somewhat enticing smell. Then her eyes settled on his lips. Unlike Mejele women, his lips were not smeared with gloss or lipstick. They were firm and plain, yet somehow compelling as she slowly, almost inexorably began to feel herself leaning toward them.

Aika immediately stopped herself, while banishing such thoughts from her mind. Jensen Dar was merely a man and her temporary superior officer. For the past two weeks, she had grown used to being under his command and though she did come to respect him, that did not mean that she should even consider getting any more closer to him than necessary. Once the war with the Radam was over, she would probably be reassigned and would not likely see him again.

So why did she feel so sad at the thought of her eventual departure from the Fire Heart and Jensen Dar?

There was also something else she had recently found out about him that she had to verify.

* * *

Back at the drinking contest

Gascogne shook her head after just barely downing her forty-seventh shot glass of Torpedo Juice. At this point, just keeping her thoughts coherent was near-impossible. Who would have thought that Tarak men could come up with such a potent beverage? Every time she took a shot, it felt as if she was swallowing a river of lava.

On the other side of the table, Old Gun smirked unsteadily after taking down his forty-eighth glass of Red Fury. Though he was keeping up a strong appearance, the alcohol in Gascogne's drink was starting to get to him. Unlike Torpedo Juice, which hit a person's tolerance at once like an avalanche, Red Fury snuck up on a person when he/she least expected it.

However, he wasn't going to give up until he put this tough Mejele pirate under the table! With that, he upped the ante, by pouring out two shots of Red Fury and drank them down in rapid succession, putting him 3 glasses ahead of Gascogne.

The Head Supplier of the Nirvana let off a growl.

"Damn!"

With that she poured out three shots of Torpedo Juice and downed them one after another.

The crowds who were watching gasped in absolute disbelief. These people were STILL conscious after FIFTY shots of Red Fury and Torpedo Juice?!

The contest began to come to its climax as both simultaneously began pouring out their next shot

* * *

At the gaming stalls

Parfet hugged the large stuffed animal in her arms as she and Duero walked down the street. The good doctor had won the grand prize after sweeping all the competition at the goldfish game.

"Thank you Deuro! I always wanted one of these!" The bespectacled girl said excitedly.

"Uhm yes, you're quite welcome. Though I don't really see the appeal of winning this as a prize." He held up a similar stuffed animal. The prize had been a set. It was then that they were met by a certain Dread pilot.

Duero immediately noticed her expression on her face as one of slight anger and displeasure. He also noted the slight expression in Parfet's eyes. Though he still didn't understand the subtle nuances of female behavior, he correctly assumed that Barnette was not happy over the fact that he was with Parfet. Hoping to diffuse a potential conflict, he smiled and greeted her.

"Barnette! How very nice to see you. Are you enjoying the celebration?"

Barnette put on her best demeanor as she didn't want to cause any trouble, especially on Slade's birthday. "Ah, it's good to see you, Duero you too, Parfet. So I hear that you won the grand prize at the goldfish game." She eyed the stuffed toy in the engineer's arms and wished that the doctor had won it for her.

Duero then stepped forward and handed her the stuffed doll in his possession to her. "Here. I want you to have this."

This caught her off-guard, and Barnette's cheeks began to become slightly pink. "For me?"

"Yes, well I certainly can't keep it in my office on the Nirvana or in my quarters here, so I thought you might have it. Do you like it? I did my best to win it."

"Uhm yes! It's cute! Thank you"

With this simple act, Duero had unknowingly smoothed things over between the two rivals, at least for a time.

* * *

Speaking of smoothing things over

After the first slow dance had ended, Jensen and Aika had moved off to look at the view on a nearby balcony. At that point, the worldwide party was now into its early evening hours on their side of the planet, as more fireworks were being shot off into the night sky.

"Beautiful." Aika commented as she watched the colored displays. She and her commander were leaning against the rail.

"Yes, it's pretty." Jensen agreed. "Normally we don't indulge in this sort of thing very often, but I'd say that the occasion warrants it. I mean, we did win a great victory and the men and women seem to be getting along well enough."

"Yes, who would have believed that we could cooperate like this? It hasn't been that long since the genders were bitter enemies."

"Indeed. Though there are some old wounds that haven't healed completely yet." The Fire Heart's captain remarked as he remembered that some of the upper brass in the Tarak Armed Forces were stubbornly sticking to the century-old belief that women were the enemy. The truce between the sexes was considered as a necessary and temporary evil that they would endure, until the Radam were defeated.

Aika nodded in agreement as she remembered many of the Mejele officers resented the idea of serving aboard Tarak vessels, while their own ships had been reduced into salvage material. She herself was still nursing one particular grudge against the men. Despite having read the crew listing of the destroyer formally known as the Fire Heart, she was still unaware that the man who had defeated her two years ago was standing next to her.

At that moment, Jensen decided that it was time to get things out in the open. He needed the full cooperation of everyone aboard his vessel and though it would have been better for him not to tell her of that incident, the Tarak man felt that it wasn't right to withhold that information from his second-in-command. Aika Shan had proven herself as a capable and open-minded officer. If she was willing to follow Tarak lifestyles and compromise, then she deserved to know the truth.

"What's that?" Aika asked as she pointed up at a streak of light that was moving toward the horizon. It was differently colored from the exploding fireworks and moved at an odd angle.

Dar looked up in the direction she was indicating and recognized the light. "Hmmm. That's the ion signature of a Class B destroyer's engines. Looks like one of the ships is heading toward a sub-orbital station for maintenance and re-supply."

"Really?" The silver-haired female's face took on an introspective expression as she gazed upon the descending light.

At that point, the young man took a deep breath as he knew what she was thinking of. Then he said in a quiet tone, " The first Fire Heart was a Class A Destroyer. Those types of ships give off a reddish-orange ion thrust signature."

"I know." The First Officer said. "I saw one up close just before it was about to destroy the Crimson Twilight but it didn't."

"Really?"

"Yes, and that's what had me thinking for a long time. At first, I was angry at being defeated, and I assumed that the commander of the ship had spared me and my crew as an insult, knowing that he had the upper hand. But then, I read the reports concerning that ship."

"You did?"

"Yes, it was just after the Battle of K-97. I decided to research the vessel that had beaten me, and the reports stated that the captain and most of his senior staff were killed during the first attack on the ship. As a result, a junior officer took command and what was that term again? Oh yes, he bushwacked me."

"I see." Jensen became very quiet at this revelation. He began to suspect that his First Officer knew more than she let on, but he had to make certain. "So, did the reports mention the name of that junior officer?"

Aika shook her head. "No. That information was deemed as classified and I did not have the authority to access it."

The Fire Heart's captain relaxed slightly at this bit of information, though considering that Aika had shown to be exceptionally insightful, he had to watch his responses carefully.

"The officer was promoted to captain after the incident, on the basis of his strategic victory and for saving the lives of his crew." Aika continued. "That was when I found out the reason why that ship hadn't destroyed mine when it had the chance."

"And what reason was that?"

"His ship was low on power and fuel. It only had enough energy to either fire its main guns or to make it back to Tarak space. The officer chose to go home and save his crew. He chose mercy and the welfare of his fellows over certain victory. That fact surprised me."

"In what way?"

"As you know, we women of Mejele considered men as just barbaric savages, (no offense mind you), and we didn't even think that they were capable of compassion."

"And now what do you think of them now?"

"Well I will admit that many of the men of Tarak are quite rough, but that doesn't mean that they're no less human than anyone else. I will say that some men I've met are very open-minded, insightful, shrewd, exceptionally gifted and can be sensitive and show great kindness." Her eyes then gazed deeply into her captain's. "And I find those qualities to be very appealing."

All of a sudden, Jensen tensed up again at her words as she stepped closer to him. He gulped slightly and said, "That's really good to hear. So, ah. you never did learn that officer's name? So what do you plan on doing if you ever meet with him?"

Aika smiled as she took one more step closer to him, tilted her head up slightly until their faces were mere centimeters from each other, then leaned forward.

Jensen's mental functions momentarily halted as their lips came together. A sudden warmth flooded his entire body as Aika kissed him. Then as suddenly as they began, she pulled away from him and smiled at his dumbstruck expression.

The Tarak captain trembled a bit at his first kiss with a Mejele woman. Then again, it was his first kiss ever in his life. He shook his head to clear it and then asked in shock, "You plan to do _THAT_ to the man who defeated you?!"

Aika's smile became even more pronounced. "Yes and I just kissed the man who defeated me."

"Huh?!"

Aika giggled slightly at her superior's sudden embarrassment. "The file didn't mention your name, but I had Engineer Ianesk do some background research on you. It appears that you were promoted to Captain's rank a week after the date on the file. I also learned that you had previously served on the Destroyer Fire Heart, and you were present during the attack. That's too much of a coincidence. And I do recall you wanting to tell me something about that incident before the Battle at K-97."

"You you know?!"

"Yes. It looks my woman's intuition was right. Now the big question is what do we do now?"

"Uh" Was Jensen's intelligent reply.

* * *

At the Holo Dance-Off

The Mejele judge couldn't believe that she was actually handing the First Place Trophy to a man. However, she couldn't deny that the Brawler Brigade's medic had out-paced even the best players at the Holo-Dance game. His stamina and precise movements easily made him the champion of the competition.

However, as Gin accepted the award, he had also attracted the attention of several females, who were impressed by the grace and dexterity he had displayed. Who knew that a man could move so smoothly?

One female in particular gazed upon the humble, yet strong-willed healer with interest. She was a minor corporal from the Dread squadron that was now part of the Fire Heart's crew. She had short, blonde hair that was in a pageboy style, and light, green eyes. She was about three inches shorter than Gin, and had a slender figure. She wore the standard uniform of the Mejele Space Fighter Corps. As the winner of the Holo Dance-Off waved to the applauding crowd and prepared to depart, she rose from her seat and headed toward him. She then put on a gentle smile and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hello."

Gin turned about and greeted his unexpected admirer. "Oh hi."

"I was very impressed by your victory. Then again, if I had your stamina and precision, I'd have won easily too."

The young medic felt a bit of a hitch in his chest from the praise, and gave her an embarrassed grin. "Ah it was nothing. When you're a part of the Brawler Brigade, you either keep up with the guys, or Old Gun will make you run laps until you throw up." He winced at his lack of manners. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so"

The woman waved it off. "Not at all. One of my colleagues happens to be a Vanguard trainee, and she told me about the infamous training methods of the Brawler Brigade."

"Yeah, well it's because of those training methods that a person's stamina is enhanced."

"I see. So is it really true that Master Sergeant Fulson's Special Mix tastes like plasma coolant?"

Gin let off an amused chuckle. "If I had a choice, I'd rather DRINK plasma coolant than one of Old Gun's Specials. Once you get a taste, you work your hardest so that you don't ever have to drink it again. Take my word ah I'm sorry. I forgot to ask for your name."

"It's Tamera Marn."

"I'm Gin Zerga."

* * *

The Drinking Game

"Give (hic) up?" Old Gun stuttered. At this point, he was about ready to drop.

"Not (burp) a chance!" Gascone retorted as she tried to keep herself from passing out.

Both stubbornly reached for his/her sixty-first shot glass. The surrounding crowds held their breath as they couldn't believe that this contest had gone on for so long. How much more could they take? As the glasses were raised, several spectators were beginning to believe that there would be no end.

Then it happened.

_**THUMP!**_

A collective gasp was heard as the two downed their drinks, then suddenly hit the table with their foreheads. Several members of the Fire Heart and Nirvana crews rushed over to check on the unconscious rivals. Carden Zemer checked on Fulson's pulse while Ukyo the XVII did likewise with the pirate Head Supplier.

"He's okay." Zemer confirmed. "Although Old Gun's going to be _REALLY GROUCHY_ when he comes to." He turned to one of his subordinates. "See if you can find Gin and get some Wake Up juice."

"Miss Gasco's all right too." Ukyo said. "And you don't want to be around her when she wakes up with a hangover. She becomes almost impossible to work with until she sobers up." She then addressed Carden. "So who won?"

Carden shrugged. "Don't know. It looked like they both hit the table at the same time."

"A draw?"

"Looks that way. I got to hand it to her. _NOBODY_ ever managed to hold his own against Old Gun and his Torpedo Juice."

"And I never thought I'd see the day that someone could take as many shots of Red Fury as Miss Gasco."

Both men and women applauded as the two were gently laid down on stretchers to be taken to the nearest Sick Bay.

* * *

The worldwide celebration continued on well into the late hours and many of the participants refused to stop partying. A few people in particular didn't even know the meaning of the word, 'enough.'

_**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BANG! BANG! CRACKLE! SHREEE! BA-KOOM!**_

"_YEAH, BABY!!_"

Sosike Tamar covered his ears as he watched his comrade and bomb maniac Zet Finnar continue to launch fireworks into the sky. The former arsonist had been shooting off rockets and various other explosives into the air for hours since the birthday party began. He had only paused for ten minutes per volley in order to reload.

"_CORPORAL!_" His superior shouted as he continued to fire off more of the colorful explosives. "_DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD STOP NOW!?_"

Zet paused only to give the sergeant a puzzled look before launching another barrage.

The Brawler Brigade second-in-command and muttered to himself, "Right. Just asking."

* * *

"Ooh! That's even prettier than the last batch of fireworks." Siloma remarked as she and Chief Engineer Willard Zona walked together to tour the sights.

The head engineer of the Fire Heart nodded as he gazed up at the colorful and loud light show. "Yep. That's really nice. Judging by the excessive amounts of fireworks being used, I'd say that was Boomer's work."

"Boomer?"

"Yep. That's the call sign of the Vanguard pilot you saved from that exploding mech. He told me to lead you to this spot so you could get a good view of the sky. I guess this is his way of saying thank you."

The younger engineer blushed a bit at the unexpected display of gratitude.

* * *

Jensen Dar didn't know what to do.

After being given one of the biggest shocks of his life, he and Aika had begun to quietly converse and find more in common with each other. Then his second-in-command made the mistake of drinking several cups from a bowl of punch that had been spiked with Torpedo Juice.

Once again, the strong, Tarak, alcoholic beverage had caught Aika off-guard. However, this was a watered-down version and it didn't make her pass out immediately. In fact, this drink didn't take effect until after six cups. As the captain of the Fire Heart soon learned, his First Officer was a terrible drunk.

"Ooh! Looky looky at the pretty lights!"

"Come on, Commander. We've only got a little more to go." Jensen was currently supporting her against his side as she staggered down the hallway of the Fire Heart.

"I dun't wanna go!" Aika slurred. "Wanna drink!"

"I think you've had enough tonight."

"Want more good punch!"

"Too good I'd say. Looks like some joker spiked the punch with Old Gun's Special Brew again."

"Tastes gooooood oooops!"

Aika tripped over her own feet and would have landed flat on her face if her superior hadn't caught her as she fell forward. Seeing that she was in no condition to stand, let alone walk, he immediately swept her off her feet and carried her the rest of the way toward her quarters. As he passed through the door, the Mejele woman let off a giggle.

"Ooh! Looky! I just got ohma-ed!"

"Huh?!" Dar said in confusion as he gently laid her down on the bunk.

"I'm a fah-ma! Gunna have me a baby now!"

"Say what?!"

She then reached up and framed his face with her hands. She took on a loving expression and her eyes glistened. "Yuh know I _REALLY_ like yuz."

"Uh, the feeling's mutual."

"I _REALLY_ like yuz so much, I wanna have yer baby!"

"_WHAT?!_"

"Gimmee yur babee! I wanna be a fahma!"

Before he could react, Aika took the initiative in her drunken stupor, and pulled him down to kiss him fully on the mouth. Unlike the fire kiss, this one was one of fiery passion and intensity. Dar found himself unable to resist as his cognitive functions shut down and his primal instincts took over.

He began to kiss her back with the same intensity.

* * *

Well into the late hours, Slade yawned as he began to feel drowsy. After several hours of dancing, drinking, feasting and cavorting with his friends, he decided to call it a night. After bidding his mother a good evening and thanking her for the party, he decided to head back to his quarters on the Nirvana.

It was at that time a certain blonde Tekkaman and former Dread pilot smiled as she watched him head out. Jura silently made her way toward one of the main hall's exits and immediately called on a personal communicator.

"Parfet? Are you there?"

The device beeped as the Head Engineer of the Nirvana replied. "I'm here, Jura."

The seductive space warrior nodded as she asked, "Did you finish that little project I asked you to do?"

"Yeah, I got it done. Though I really don't know"

"It's all right. It will be my _PERSONAL_ present for Slade. So it'll work?"

"Pretty much. So are you going now?"

"Yes. Jura out."

After turning off her communicator, she quickly headed down a secret shortcut to Heaven's Haven's main hanger deck. Tonight was going to be the night that neither she nor Slade would ever forget.

To continued

**Author's Notes**

Well, that takes care of this part and now comes

Aw, that would be telling. So I guess my readers will have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens next.

(1) The U.S. Navy's acrobatic team, currently using F/A-18 Hornets as their demonstrators .

(2) Red Fury. This is Gascogne's special alcoholic drink that burns hotter than the strongest whiskey, ale and vodka, combined!

(3) The futuristic version of the Dance, Dance, Revolution Game. An idea from Rictor Yagami. 


	34. Songfic: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Girls Just Wanna Have Fun**

**A Tekkadread Songfic**

Disclaimer: Original lyrics sung by Cyndi Lauper and has been altered slightly to fit the fanfic. No money is being made off of this.

(This is from Chapter 13 part 2 of Tekkadread the Second Stage)

Jura took the center stage as she held up a microphone, then blew a kiss to the birthday boy, making him blush as a spotlight shone down on his table.

"We're all celebrating a special occasion for a very special person. The alliance between Mejele and Tarak would never have taken place if it weren't for him. And as he said before, we should all enjoy ourselves tonight. Even though the men and women have been living together for some time now, there are still some things that either side do not about the other. Well, there is _ONE_ thing that everyone should know about girls. In short _GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!_"

On cue, the huge speakers behind her started blaring out an upbeat, techno-tune as other members of the Nirvana crew came out to sing as a chorus line with the blonde Tekkaman

Jura: [I come home in the morning light, my mother says when you gonna live your life right? Oh momma dear we're not the fortunate ones! And girls, they want to have fun! Oooooh girls just want to have _ F-U-U-U-N-N-N_!]

Jura started to sway her hips in time with the music as the chorus line behind her did likewise in sync. Then she sang out the next lines

Jura: [The phone rings in the middle of the night, my _OHMA_ yells, "What you gonna do with your life?!" Oh Ohma, dear you know you're still number one! But girls they want to have fun! Oh girls just want to have-- That's all they really want Some _F-U-U-U-N-N-N_! When the working day is done! Girls-- they want to have fun Oh girls just want to have fun!]

Chorus Line: [Girls, they wanna Wanna have fun Girls wanna have]

There was an instrumental pause as Jura caught her breath, while the dance floor shook with men and women gyrating to the beat. The men actually showed some grace and coordination as they kept up with their female counterparts.

Jura: [Some people take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world. I wanna be the one who walks in the sun! Oh girls, they wanna have fun! Oh girls, they wana have that's all they really w-a-a-a-n-n-n-t is some _F-U-U-U-N-N-N_! When the working day is done! Girls-- they want to have fun Oh girls just want to have fun!]

Chorus Line: [Girls, they wanna Wanna have fun Girls wanna have]

Jura and the Chorus Line: [They just wanna they just wanna they just wanna girls girls just wanna have _F-U-U-U-U-N-N-N_!]

Jura: [When the working when the working day is done oh, when the working day is done girls just wanna have _F-U-U-U-U-N-N-N_!]

The chorus and Jura went on for a few more times before letting the music fade away. When all became silent, she smiled at Slade again and said

"Happy birthday, Slade! This is just _ONE_ of the gifts that I want to give to you!"

(End of Songfic)


	35. Songfic: Beat It

**Beat It**

**A Tekkadread Songfic**

Disclaimer: Beat It sung originally by Michael Jackson and no money is being made off this piece of fiction.

(This takes place after Songfic 4 of Tekkadread the Second Stage)

When Jura finally ended her song and the music faded away, there was a thunderous applause from both sides. She gave them a graceful bow, then gestured to Slade. "Happy birthday, Slade! This is just _ONE_ of the gifts that I want to give to you!"

The former Saotome swallowed a bit at the hidden message, then smiled while shaking his head. He then got up and walked toward the stage. Taking up another microphone, he addressed her and the crowds.

"Well, that was quite the present, Jura and I really do appreciate it. Thank you. Now, I think that there are some things that needs to be known about the menas well. And if there's one thing they'll all agree on is that they are strong in their hearts and minds, and if you don't agree, then you'd better _ BEAT IT_!"

Slade then took out a small computer data file and inserted it into the speaker system. As with Jura, the speakers began playing out hard, rock and roll music. Slade also pulled out an techno-version of the electric guitar and started playing while attaching the microphone to it.

Slade: [They told you don't you ever come around here! Don't wanna see your face, you'd better disappear! The fire's in their eyes, and their words are really clear. So beat it! Just beat it!]

The women and men started to move in time to the new music. Several men decided to join Slade on the stage to be his chorus line. Though they didn't know the words, the Tekkaman smiled as he demonstrated some moves for them to follow. They copied his moves with surprising ease and precision.

Slade: [You better run, you better do what you can! Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man! You wanna be tough, better do what you can, so beat it! But you wanna be bad! Just beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [No one wants to be defeated! Showin' how funky, and strong is your fight! It doesn't matter, who's wrong or right! Just Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Just beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Just beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Just beat it! _OOH!_ They're out to get you, better leave while you can! Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man! You wanna stay alive, better do what you can! So beat it. Just beat it!]

Chorus Line: [_YEAH!_]

Slade: [You have to show them that you're really not scared! You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare! They'll kick you, then they beat you, then they'll tell you it's fair, so beat it. But you wanna be bad just beat it]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [No one wants to be defeated! Showin' how funky, and strong is your fight! It doesn't matter, who's wrong or right! Just Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Beat it! No one wants to be defeated! Showin' how funky, and strong is your fight! It doesn't matter, who's wrong or right! Just Beat it beat it beat it. Just beat it beat it beat it.]

Slade then went into a wicked guitar solo and showed off the ancient dance step formally known as the Moon Walk. The music swelled in intensity and so did the dancers as the song reached its apex. Then the Tekkaman sang out the remaining lines with the chorus.

Slade: [Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade: [Beat it!]

Chorus Line: [Beat it!]

Slade and the Chorus Line : [Beat it! No one wants to be defeated! Showin' how funky, and strong is your fight! It doesn't matter, who's wrong or right! Just Beat it beat it beat it. Just beat it beat it beat it.]

Like Jura's song, the music slowly faded away as the Tekkaman polished off the remaining chords. There was another thunderous applause as the men and women demanded for more

End of Songfic


	36. Songfic: If I Could Turn Back Time

**If I Could Turn Back Time**

**A Tekkadread Songfic**

Disclaimer: If I Could Turn Back Time was originally sung by Cher. No money is being made off this work of fiction.

[ ]: Song lyrics

(This takes place during chapter 13 part 2 of Tekkadread the Second Stage)

At that moment, a certain, blue-haired, former Dread Pilot decided to sing out her feelings for him. Meia stood alone on the stage and fidgeted nervously for a few seconds before taking up the microphone. She addressed the crowds and especially Slade.

"I would like to first wish Slade a happy birthday today. I have to admit, that when he first came aboard the Nirvana and became a part of the crew, I was like every other person from Mejele. I didn't believe that men and women could work together. But despite all the arguments, the fights, and the harsh treatment that we had given to him and the other men, he still stuck with us. As I remember back to those times, I feel a bit ashamed of how I myself, had treated him. And now, like we all are, I feel blessed and very fortunate that he's with us. This is my gift to you, Slade. It was my favorite song when I was growing up. We can't really dance to it, but I think we can still enjoy it all the same."

Meia then signaled to the karaoke machine to play her selection as she began to sing.

Soft music began to play, giving all dancers to sit down and relax.

Meia: [If I could turn back time If I could find a way I'd take back all the words that have hurt you and you'd stay]

(Her memories went back to the time of her first argument with Slade)

Meia: [I don't know why I did the things I did I don't know why I said the things I said]

(Flashback to the scene where she got Slade demoted to the Register)

Meia: [Pride's like a knife, it can cut deep inside Words are like weapons, they wound sometimes I didn't really mean to hurt you, I didn't wanna see you go I know I made you cry, but Baby]

At that moment, Jura and Dita decided to join Meia on stage and become her support singers.

Meia, Jura, Dita: [If I could turn back time If I could find a way I'd take back all the words that have hurt you and you'd stay]

Meia: [If I could reach the stars I'd give them all to you then you'd love me, love me, like you used to do ]

Jura, Dita: [if I could turn back time]

Meia blinked back the tears as she sang the next verse.

Meia: [My world was shattered, I was torn apart Like someone took a knife and drove it deep in my heart]

(Flashback to the time Slade was chased off the Nirvana, then brutally killed by Saber)

Meia: [When you walked out that door, I swore that I didn't care]

{Memories of Slade refusing to fight alongside the women when the Harvesters attacked later on)

Meia: [But I lost everything darling, then and there. Too strong to tell you I was sorry. Too proud to tell you I was wrong. I know that I was blind, but darling ]

(Meia winced when she remembered that time in the asteroid field when she refused to combine her Dread with Slade)

Meia, Jura, Dita: [If I could turn back time If I could find a way I'd take back all the words that have hurt you and you'd stay If I could reach the stars I'd give them all to you then you'd love me, love me, like you used to do ]

Meia smiled deeply as she directed her voice at Slade alone.

Meia: [If I could turn back time If I could turn back time If I could turn back time If I could turn back time, Baby I didn't really mean to hurt you, I didn't wanna see you go, I know I made you cry]

The music began to swell again as the trio sang together.

Meia, Jura, Dita: [If I could turn back time If I could find a way I'd take back all the words that have hurt you If I could reach the stars I'd give them all to you then you'd love me, love me, _LOVE ME_, like you used to do ]

The music then faded away as the three sang the same chorus again. Afterwards, the crowds let off a appreciative round of applause.

(End of Songfic)


	37. Songfic: We’re Not Gonna Take It

**We're Not Gonna Take It**

**A Tekkadread Songfic**

Disclaimer: We're Not Gonna Take It was sung by Twisted Sister, and I'm STILL not making any money from this! Lyrics have been altered slightly to fit the story.

(This songfic takes place during chapter 13 part 2 of Tekkadread the Second Stage)

[ ]: Lyrics

At that point, Captain Jensen Dar decided to take the microphone as he was joined by several of his crewmembers on the raised platform. Near the back of the audience, his First Officer and several of her crew from the Crimson Twilight gaped in amazement. They weren't actually going to?

Jensen waved to the crowds and spoke. "I must admit that the people from Mejele and the Nivana certainly know how to have fun. Now I think it's time to show everyone that the Fire Heart crew knows a thing or two about how to party! And here's a message from us to the Radam! We're all going to fight with everything we've got! And anything they throw at us, we're NOT gonna take it!"

The karaoke machine then started an up-tempo beat as Jensen and his crew sang out their defiance toward the enemy and emphasized the unity of the two genders.

Jensen: [Oh, we're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Cue the guitar and drums.

Jensen: [We've got the right to choose and, there ain't no way we'll lose it! This is our life, this is our SONG!]

Aika could only stare in disbelief at her superior. He could actually sing?!

Jensen: [We'll fight the powers that be just, don't pick our destiny 'cause, you don't know us, you don't belong!]

Chorus Line: [Oh, we're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Jensen: [Oh, you're so condescending! Your gall is never ending! We don't want nothing, not a thing from you!]

The dancers of the floor increased their pace in time with the lyrics.

Jensen: [Your life is so trite and jaded, boring and confiscated! If that's your best, your best won't do!]

Chorus Line and Jensen: [Oh oh oh oh oh oh]

Jensen: [We're right!]

Chorus Line: [Yeah!]

Jensen: [We're free!]

Chorus Line: [Yeah!]

Jensen: [We'll fight!]

Chorus Line: [Yeah!]

Jensen: [You'll see!]

Chorus Line: [Oh, we're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Chorus Line and Jensen: [We're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Jensen: [NO WAY!]

Then to Slade's surprise, the Fire Heart's Captain picked up an electric guitar and started to do a guitar solo. Apparently, he was familiar with the instrument as well.

Chorus Line and Jensen: [Oh oh oh oh oh oh]

Jensen: [We're right!]

Chorus Line: [Yeah!]

Jensen: [We're free!]

Chorus Line: [Yeah!]

Jensen: [We'll fight!]

Chorus Line: [Yeah!]

Jensen: [You'll see!]

Then to everyone's surprise, a new set of voices joined up as several more singers came onto the stage.

Aika and her crew: [We're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Everyone on the stage: [Oh, We're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Jensen: [Just you try and make us!]

Everyone on the stage: [Oh, We're not gonna take it!]

Jensen: [Come on!]

Everyone on stage: [No! We ain't gonna take it!]

Jensen: [The Radam's worthless and weak!]

Every one stage: [Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

Jensen: [Now drop and give me twenty!]

Everyone on the stage: [Oh, We're not gonna take it!]

Jensen: [Oh, crinch pin!]

Everyone on stage: [No! We ain't gonna take it!]

Jensen: [You and your uniform!]

Everyone stage: [Oh, we're not gonna take it, anymore!]

The music then faded away as the song ended. There was an enormous roar of approval and applause as the Fire Heart's crew, both male and female, took their bows.

(end of songfic)


	38. Songfic: Hey Ranma!

**Hey Ranma!**

**A Tekkadread Songfic**

[ ]: Song lyrics

(Takes place during Chapter 13 part 2 of Tekkadread the Second Stage

Disclaimer: Original song sung by Ashley Tisdale, later Toni Basil, changed from Hey Mickey, to Hey Ranma to fit the story. I'm still not making any money from this!

Dita smiled as she took to the stage and gestured to Slade, while adjusting to the crowds...

"As you may or may not know, Tekkaman Slade was once a really great person named Ranma Saotome. Whether he's Ranma or Slade, he's always been there for us! At times, he may drive some of us crazy, but that only means he cares about us, and we care about him. Hey Ranma! You're so fine, you blow my mind!"

At that point, a very upbeat and quirky tune started to play from the karaoke machine.

Dita: [Oh Ranma, You're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ranma! Hey Ranma! Oh Ranma, You're so Fine, You're so Fine You Blow My Mind Hey Ranma! Hey Ranma! Oh Ranma, You're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ranma! Hey Ranma!]

The music starts to swell as Dita started to dance in place while smiling.

Dita: [Hey Ranma! You've been around all night and that's a little long. You think you've got the right, but I think you've got it wrong! Why can't you say goodnight, so you can take me home Ranma?]

The redhead then gestured to her 'Mr. Alien' again while singing out the next verse. At this point, people started to dance on the floor.

Dita: [Cause when you say you will, it always means you won't! You're given me the chills baby, please baby don't! Every night you still leave me all alone, Ranma!]

Jura and Meia could relate to the song, since they remembered all the times Slade had avoided them and left them wanting. They decided to join Dita on the stage as her chorus line.

Dita, Jura, Meia: [Oh Ranma what a pity you don't understand! You take me by the heart, when you take me by the hand! Oh Ranma, you're so pretty, cant you understand? It's guys like you Ranma! Oh what you do, Ranma, do Ranma, don't break my heart, Ranma!]

There was an accompanying sound of clapping from the audience as Dita sung out the next verse.

Dita: [Now When you take me by the hooves, everyone's gonna know! Every time you move, I let a little more show! There's something we can use, so don't say no Ranma!]

Jura and Meia began moving in time with Dita.

Dita: [So come on and give it to me, anyway you can! Any way you want to do it, I'll take it like a man! Oh please, baby please! Don't leave me in a jam, Ranma!

Dita, Jura, Meia: [Oh Ranma what a pity you don't understand! You take me by the heart, when you take me by the hand! Oh Ranma, you're so pretty, cant you understand? It's guys like you Ranma! Oh what you do, Ranma, do Ranma, don't break my heart, Ranma!]

Jura and Meia then repeated the chorus lines as they gyrated to the beat.

Jura, Meia: [Oh Ranma, You're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ranma! Hey Ranma! Oh Ranma, You're so Fine, You're so Fine You Blow My Mind Hey Ranma! Hey Ranma! Oh Ranma, You're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ranma! Hey Ranma!]

The three girls then reprised the remaining chorus lines with the flourish as the music faded away.

Dita, Jura, Meia: [Oh Ranma what a pity you don't understand! You take me by the heart, when you take me by the hand! Oh Ranma, you're so pretty, cant you understand? It's guys like you Ranma! Oh what you do, Ranma, do Ranma, don't break my heart, Ranma!]

When the music finally ended, the three took a boy while simultaneously blowing their intended a kiss.

Slade could only blush and say to his mother

"Well, at least Dita stopped calling me Mr. Alien."

(End of Songfic)


End file.
